Good heavens, even the villain has this level of resolve?
Esidisi's series of actions left the audience outside the light curtain scrambling to keep up.
He and Joseph had started fighting at the drop of a hat. The two didn't even know each other; Esidisi attacked simply because he deemed Joseph a threat.
This point left some of the viewers a bit bewildered.
It seemed the Pillar Men held a grudge against Hamon warriors. Not only did they annihilate the Hamon clan two thousand years ago, but now, upon seeing Joseph use Hamon, they attacked on sight.
---o---
[Light Curtain Commentary]
[Kars: "Esidisi, you fool! Are you facing such a terrifying enemy for my sake again?!"]
[Conan Edogawa: "He'd sacrifice his own life to take Joseph down with him... is that really a line for a villain?"]
[Yukino Yukinoshita: "It's over, it's over. At this rate, every villain is going to be more charismatic than Muzan."]
[Kurumi Tokisaki: "Muzan Kibutsuji? What is that non-combustible piece of trash? His resolve can't even compare to one of Kars's underlings..."]
---o---
[On Screen]
Due to the earlier commotion, the streets of Yoshiwara were already empty. Most of the citizens had fled.
On the deserted street, traditional Japanese-style buildings lined both sides. Red lanterns hung above, illuminating the ground. The moon was at its zenith; sunrise was still a long way off.
Joseph and Esidisi stood on opposite sides of the narrow street, facing each other like cowboys in a Western duel.
A dusty wind blew past, kicking up dirt from the ground. The scene was calm, yet tense.
"You really know how to pick a spot, JOJO. You're not the first Hamon warrior I've fought one-on-one, but you are the most peculiar one I've ever met."
Esidisi stared intently at the Hermit Purple on Joseph's hands, his gaze deep and wary.
That thing was clearly not within the realm of living beings. It was illusory, yet tangibly real. Coupled with its ability to conduct Hamon with 100% efficiency, it was enough to make Esidisi exercise extreme caution.
"Your expression has changed. It's different from before. What's wrong, are you scared?"
Unlike Esidisi, Joseph was relaxed and carefree. He looked less like a warrior in a duel and more like a street loafer.
However, despite his relaxed appearance, Joseph remained vigilant. So far, Esidisi was the only enemy who could see Hermit Purple on his wrists.
That point alone was enough to put Joseph on high alert.
More importantly, their brief exchange had shown him that this man was no ordinary foe. Without the amplification from Hermit Purple, even if Joseph used every trick up his sleeve, he would be no match for the man before him.
And behind Esidisi stood a mysterious man named Kars. Joseph's intuition told him that Kars would become the most terrifying and powerful opponent he would ever face in his life.
"Heh heh, this is getting interesting," Esidisi said, the corners of his mouth curling up as his fighting spirit surged.
"This isn't my first time fighting a Hamon warrior. But... all those who acted so mysterious in front of me are already dead."
"You will be no exception, JOJO!" Esidisi stated calmly and immediately made his move.
BAM! He threw a palm strike at Joseph. If it landed, Joseph's body would be pierced straight through.
But Joseph didn't dodge. Instead, he met the palm head-on.
"HAMON!!!" Joseph roared. A golden arc of Hamon crackled from his right index and middle fingers, and he jabbed toward Esidisi's palm like the One Yang Finger technique.
The power of the sun instantly shattered the Pillar Man's body, which was dozens of times tougher and more resilient than even an Upper Rank's.
Pfft! The sound of something being pierced rang out, but it wasn't Joseph's body. It was Esidisi's palm that had been impaled, blood slowly dripping from it.
"NANI?!" Esidisi's eyes widened. He knew Joseph's Hamon was powerful, but he never expected it to be strong enough to completely bypass his defense as a Pillar Man.
Joseph, on the other hand, let out a slight sigh of relief, his blood boiling with excitement.
But... it was that very sigh of relief that gave Esidisi the opening he needed!
The look of shock quickly vanished from his face, replaced by cold indifference. He grabbed Joseph's fingers and instantly twisted his own wrist a full 360 degrees.
"Hmph. This is the nature of your breathing technique. One lapse in concentration is all I need to seize the opportunity, JOJO!"
"I grew tired of killing Hamon warriors of this caliber two thousand years ago!!!"
Hamon—similar to the Breathing Styles of the Demon Slayer world, it was an energy generated through pulmonary breathing. Therefore... one must never disrupt their breathing rhythm during combat.
Otherwise, the Hamon would fail, leading to defeat!
This was exactly Joseph's situation. Even though Hermit Purple had amplified his Hamon to a terrifying degree, Joseph himself lacked experience in prolonged Hamon combat and had not formed the habit of breathing with Hamon!
This created a potentially fatal weakness. An ordinary Hamon warrior would have been defeated at this very moment.
However... Joseph had Hermit Purple, as well as an incredibly sharp ability to react to situations. He was long past being an ordinary Hamon warrior.
"Hermit Purple Overdrive!!" Hermit Purple, wrapped around his other wrist, shot out like an arrow from a bow, heading straight for Esidisi's neck.
The Hamon energy it carried was enough to sever Esidisi's head from his body.
"Damn it." Retracting his hand, Esidisi quickly pulled away, clicking his tongue.
If he had pressed on, Joseph would have lost his entire right hand, but he would have lost his life to Hermit Purple.
"That... that was close!" Joseph's face was pale as he panted, a few drops of cold sweat trickling down.
He had almost lost his entire hand. While he wasn't afraid of dying or losing limbs, if he let the enemy gain the upper hand when he had the advantage, Joseph would have been too ashamed to even think about it.
"Hmph. That purple thing is truly detestable. It seems neither of us gained an advantage in the first round, JOJO."
Esidisi said with a deadpan expression. Without Hermit Purple, he could have sent Joseph to his grave in the first exchange. Alas, there were no 'if onlys' in this world.
However, as Esidisi was thinking, his body suddenly began to twitch as if electrocuted.
"What is this! A piece of cloth?" Esidisi looked at the fabric that had somehow appeared on his shoulder. The base of his arm was being seared by Hamon, exposing the bone beneath.
The damage was spreading down his arm and along his neck, threatening to destroy his brain.
"You... when did you put this cloth on my shoulder!!"
"JOJO!!! A sneak attack?! Are you even a Hamon warrior? Are you a gentleman?!"
Esidisi was furious, his face flushing red with anger.
Joseph just glanced at him coolly and said:
"Sneak attack? You said 'JOJO' did it. What does that have to do with me, Joseph?"
"A 2,000-year-old Chinese military text, The Art of War, puts it well: 'The victor wins first and then seeks battle!' In other words, before engaging an enemy, you must first devise a strategy, create favorable conditions for yourself, and do so without the enemy noticing."
"I may have skipped class a lot, but Grandma Erina taught me history, and I'm very good at it!"
Joseph's expression was filled with confidence and a smile. He had won the first round. Although it was a close call, his original plan had succeeded without a hitch.
"..."
On screen, Esidisi looked at his exposed arm bone, his expression cold. Then, it suddenly changed, and he began to cry!
"Waaaaah!!!"
"How could you be so cruel!!!"
"My arm! Waaaaaah!!!"
He was bawling his eyes out, his face contorted into a mess as he held his now-bony arm.
Seeing this, both the audience and Joseph were completely dumbfounded.
"This... this guy... I thought he was going to fly into a rage and attack me."
"But instead, he just started crying. What is going on?"
Joseph took half a step back, muttering to himself. For some reason, this scene sent a chill down his spine.
Something's not right. This guy is absolutely not right. He's radiating a 'not right' vibe!
Joseph's premonition was correct. Just as he warily backed away, Esidisi suddenly turned and looked at him coldly.
"Hahaha," he chuckled lightly, a hint of relief in his voice. "When my emotions become too intense, I usually release them by crying and shouting. It helps me clear my mind and calm down."
"My apologies for the spectacle, JOJO." He smiled, then bowed slightly.
"You quoted The Art of War just now, didn't you?"
"To be honest, I've read it too. And I read the serialized version, two thousand years ago."
"All warfare is based on deception! There is no such thing as too much deceit in war! It was indeed my carelessness. I underestimated your combat experience, JOJO."
On screen, Esidisi reflected on his mistake, which not only made Joseph realize he was a formidable opponent but also surprised the audience.
A villain with this level of self-awareness could have been the final boss in a children's anime.
And... for some reason, Esidisi gave the audience a strange feeling of dissonance. It was as if the Esidisi on screen wasn't a villain at all.
Despite being a cruel Pillar Man, he possessed his own unique charm.
[Light Curtain Commentary]
[Yukino Yukinoshita: "The Art of War? I've heard of it. Its reputation is legendary. I didn't expect both Joseph and Esidisi to have read it."]
[First Emperor of Qin: "Oh? The sage of strategy's book has been passed down to later generations? Hahaha! That is a sacred text of military arts that even I must study repeatedly to barely comprehend!"]
[Madara Uchiha: "The sage of strategy's book? What is that? Is it like ninjutsu? Is it strong?"]
[Conan Edogawa: "Let me put it this way: if Muzan Kibutsuji understood even a fraction of The Art of War, he wouldn't be in such a pathetic state."]
[King of Heroes (Gilgamesh): "The ancient sage of strategy from the East. I wonder, if he were to be incarnated as a Heroic Spirit, could he compare to this King?"]
---o---
[On Screen]
The battle entered a new phase.
"Flame Mode: Great Chariot Prison of the Blazing King!"
Esidisi sprayed the blood from his injured body. The steaming blood shot straight toward Joseph's face.
"Come, JOJO! How will you block my body fluids, boiled to a temperature of 500 degrees Celsius!"
"DIE!!!"
With Esidisi's roar, the blood shot out from his veins toward Joseph, forcing him to flee in a panic.
500 degrees, and it was a liquid. Even with Hermit Purple and Hamon for protection, he couldn't block that.
The sight of Joseph frantically dodging up and down made Esidisi laugh mockingly.
"Look at JOJO's pathetic state! What a delightful sight... no..."
"Esidisi, your next line is: 'No one can escape my Flame Mode! Just burn to death, JOJO!'"
Before Esidisi could finish his sentence, Joseph spoke up, finishing the line for him.
"No one can escape my Flame Mode! Just burn to death, JO... NANI!!!"
Realizing what had just happened, Esidisi let out a cry of surprise. Then, his gaze shifted to his side.
While Joseph had been fleeing, pieces of his dress had somehow been scattered all around him.
Although their Hamon conductivity wasn't strong, there were many of them. Combined with Joseph's own powerful Hamon, it was enough to ensure Esidisi's death in the next attack.
Joseph, on the other hand, looked smug. Hermit Purple had really extended his reach. No one could escape this Hamon barrier.
"Take this, Esidisi! A five-meter radius Hamon barrier!"
"Hmph~" Just as Joseph was about to use his Hamon, Esidisi unexpectedly smiled.
Joseph immediately stopped, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly agape as he stared at Esidisi in confusion.
"You've been pushed this far, and you can still smile? Esidisi!"
Having regained his composure, Esidisi just looked at Joseph calmly and pointed at him. "JOJO, your next line is: 'I'll smash that smirk right off your face.'"
"I'll smash that smirk right off your face!" Joseph blurted out, clenching his fist.
Then his eyes widened in disbelief at what had just happened!
"My... my signature move was just..."
"Are you stealing my move?! Esidisi!!!" Joseph roared.
But Esidisi didn't continue the topic. Instead, he pointed at the ground.
"Take a good look at your feet, JOJO. The one who set the barrier... was me."