The slaughter began!
Wamuu truly lived up to his title as the Warrior of Wind. He entered the battlefield as if strolling through an empty field.
Any demon, any enemy, that was careless enough to touch his body was instantly absorbed, leaving behind only a husk of skin.
And the few demons with long-range Blood Demon Arts were nothing more than slightly larger flies in Wamuu's eyes.
In fact, those low-level Blood Demon Arts were nothing more than a tickle to him.
The only thing that was slightly troublesome—illusion-based attacks—shattered before Wamuu's warrior's resolve and the mental fortitude he had cultivated over tens of thousands of years.
How powerful was a Pillar Man's body? Even Santana, whom Kars treated as a guard dog, was able to withstand the dreaded sunlight for a considerable time, and in the end, was merely turned to stone rather than killed.
And as the strongest warrior among the Pillar Men, Wamuu's abilities and talents far surpassed that of the guard dog.
Thus, a one-sided slaughter unfolded, a bloody scene presented before the audience.
On screen, ordinary demons that made direct contact with Wamuu were instantly absorbed into his body. Some were even used as projectiles, torn in half and thrown at the flying, long-range demons in the sky.
The gory scene made the faces of many viewers from ordinary worlds, who had never witnessed battle, turn pale.
If not for the light curtain thoughtfully censoring some of the particularly cruel and disgusting images, these viewers would have likely thrown up.
But even so, the blood mist that filled the air was clearly visible. Even without being there, the thick, metallic smell of blood seemed almost palpable.
It was only now that the audience truly understood what a natural predator was, what it meant to be a hard counter.
In nature, there exists something called a food chain. Sheep eat grass, and wolves eat sheep. This is the law of nature. A single wolf placed among a flock of sheep is a foe they can never defeat, no matter their numbers.
Similarly, placing a Pillar Man among a horde of demons was like releasing a wolf into a sheep pen. There were no rivals, no predators—only one-sided hunting and slaughter.
"Fifty-eight seconds, Wamuu. You nearly went over time..."
Kars walked up to Wamuu and stood beside him, speaking with a cold indifference.
He was still wearing his somewhat plain headwrap, a sign that he had not yet entered his battle stance.
After all, from what Kars understood, they had no natural enemies in this world. There was only one Hamon warrior, and he wasn't even a native of this world.
Wamuu glanced at the corpses and bloodstains around him, then absorbed all the blood on his body's surface, returning to his pre-battle state.
"Lord Kars, I was too slow. Please punish me." There was no excuse, no explanation. Even though he had completed the objective just under the time limit, as long as Kars was not satisfied, Wamuu would accept the blame.
"Punish you?" Kars quietly surveyed the unique structure of the Infinity Castle, then shook his head and turned to Wamuu, who was bowing his head as if he'd done something wrong.
"Hold your head high, Wamuu. You did nothing wrong. You eliminated these ants within the allotted time."
"The Red Stone is just ahead. Let's go," Kars said calmly, striding forward.
Seeing this, Wamuu quickly followed behind him, always maintaining a one-meter distance, guarding against any potential dangers.
---o---
[Light Curtain Commentary]
Many viewers were still reeling from the bloody scene, unable to recover. However, those with a stronger stomach were gradually composing themselves.
They looked at Kars and Wamuu with a mixture of confusion and fear.
They were confused as to what Kars had done to Wamuu to make him so willing to lay down his life. They were fearful of their cruel and callous disregard for life.
[Yoriichi Tsugikuni: "They... what do they consider life to be? When faced with life, do the hearts of the Pillar Men not feel even a shred of mercy?"]
[Ultraman Ace: "Those two... they have not a single bit of tolerance or pity for life in their eyes. The opponents were indeed enemies, indeed evil, but they are not unfeeling bio-weapons like the Terrible-Monsters!"]
[Yapool: "??? Damn you, Ace! You're the one who has no right to say that!!"]
[Conan Edogawa: "The demons deserved to die, and Kars and Wamuu deserve to die as well. The number of lives they have taken is already countless. Regardless of whether those lives were good or evil, Kars and Wamuu should go to hell!"]
[Yukino Yukinoshita: "Kars... that man's personality is simply too bizarre. He saved a puppy just a while ago, but now he is so cruel. And he always has such a sour look on his face when dealing with the fiercely loyal Wamuu..."]
[Loco: "Bizarre? No... that's not right. We were all wrong. In truth, Kars is the most terrifying, the most profound, and the most inscrutable of the Pillar Men. If I had to use one phrase to describe him, it would be... the fated supervillain!"]
[Otto Apocalypse: "Kars. His goal from the very beginning has been the Red Stone. Therefore... he views life as nothing, and he didn't pause for a moment over Esidisi's death. Even if his heart was filled with grief, he would not let it show on his face. What a terrifying enemy."]
In the Honkai world, Otto spoke with a sense of wonder. Even if Kars were in the Honkai world, he would undoubtedly be one of the opponents Otto would find most troublesome.
His resolve and his will were in no way weaker than those of his two subordinates; in fact, they were far superior.
When he learned of Esidisi's death, was Kars truly not saddened by it?
The answer, of course, was no. As a friend who had been with him from the very beginning, Esidisi had accompanied Kars for even longer than Wamuu.
His death was undoubtedly a blow to Kars. Although he showed no reaction on the surface, he was in fact grieving. In his heart, he had likely already marked the yet-unseen Joseph as the greatest enemy of his life.
But even so, Kars still prioritized obtaining the Red Stone. This was not because he was heartless, but because he had to inherit Esidisi's obsession, become the Ultimate Lifeform, and then go and kill Joseph.
---o---
[On Screen]
Within the extradimensional Infinity Castle.
Kars touched the surrounding Japanese-style architecture. The intricate patterns on them formed a stark contrast with his own exotic features.
"Wamuu, here."
BOOM!
With a single punch, he blasted a large hole through a building of aesthetic and artistic value. Kars and Wamuu passed through the hole without a change in expression.
A new environment appeared. The buildings here were constantly shifting, which was a slight annoyance even for a genius with an IQ of 400 like Kars.
"The location of the Red Stone has changed again. It seems our opponent has figured out our objective."
It was frustrating, but if they couldn't find the culprit controlling this dimension, they would never find the Red Stone.
However... Kars caressed the floor of the Infinity Castle, like a woman stroking her smooth hair.
The Demon King, Muzan Kibutsuji, must already know that all the demons he sent had been annihilated, yet he still dared not show his face. Was he afraid of the Pillar Men's power?
Although it was called the Infinity Castle, Kars's probing had long since revealed that it had its limits.
After all, if it were truly infinite, the user of this Blood Demon Art would be far too overpowered, likely stronger than even Muzan himself.
"Wamuu, let's split up here. Follow the route I give you. With your speed, you should be able to find the user of this Infinity Castle quickly."
Kars stood up and said to Wamuu. If they continued together, they would just be played for fools by the one controlling the Blood Demon Art.
"I will continue to search for the Red Stone. If all goes according to plan, I will have obtained it by the time you've dealt with the mastermind."
"As you command, Lord Kars." Wamuu nodded in understanding and immediately set off on the route Kars had given him.
Kars, as the leader, simply sat down on the ground and waited quietly.
A long time passed. When even Wamuu's presence had faded into the distance, Kars suddenly seemed to sense something. He pressed his ear against a nearby wall, as if searching for something.
"It's not far from here? The number of demons... only one. Sitting cross-legged on the ground. Height... weight... and aura. Is he behind this wall?"
Spreading his arms, the blades on them unsheathed once more.
SHIIIING!
Light Mode: Brilliant Bone Blade!
Swiping at the wall, Kars's twin blades cut through the walls of the Infinity Castle as if they were tofu.
However, it suddenly felt as if he had struck something. His arm blades let out the sound of metal clashing.
"Hm?" Kars stepped back. The next moment, several crescent-moon-shaped slashes flew toward where he had been standing.
Unable to withstand the assault, the wall collapsed, and the figure within was slowly revealed.
Crimson hair, a flesh-colored katana, red marks on his face, and his iconic six eyes.
Upper Rank One—Kokushibo! After his defeat at the hands of DIO, he was now facing Kars.
"Oh? I didn't expect to find such a peculiar existence among these ants."
Sizing up Kokushibo, Kars's lips curled into a smirk. Finally, someone who was at least pleasing to the eye had appeared. If that fellow Wamuu were here, he probably wouldn't be able to resist challenging him to a duel.
"This voice...?" Kokushibo looked up slightly, his six eyes staring intently at Kars.
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but he once again saw the shadow of Yoriichi Tsugikuni in another person. Ever since his defeat to DIO, he was now seeing Yoriichi in everything.
Without a doubt, Yoriichi had become Kokushibo's inner demon. It wasn't just his eyes; now his ears were playing tricks on him too. If not for the fact that Kars's speaking style was completely different from Yoriichi's, he would have mistaken Kars for him entirely.
Composing himself, Kokushibo drew his katana and took a samurai's stance. Although their exchange had been brief, the Kars before him was clearly not an opponent who could be easily defeated.
Fortunately, he didn't seem to possess that unfathomable, miraculous power called a Stand like DIO. Otherwise... he would suffer another miserable defeat.
"An intruder? You... you must have come here for that Red Stone."
As expected of a swordsman, Kokushibo was able to remain calm and composed even when facing a powerful enemy. He tightened his grip on his blade.
He had known from the start that the Red Stone Daki had found was no simple object. Now it seemed... it held some astonishing secret.
"The Red Stone?" Hearing those words, Kars's heart skipped a beat. His initial desire to toy with his opponent vanished.
"So it was you who took the Red Stone. Where is it now? It's not on you, is it?"
Like an insidious viper, Kars's tone instantly became grave and cold, sending a chill down one's spine.
The moment the Red Stone was mentioned, Kars would enter this state. It was no exaggeration to say that he had already sacrificed too much to become the Ultimate Lifeform.
A journey of tens of thousands of years, all for a single goal. Setting aside his alignment, Kars's resolve and will were terrifyingly immense.
Kokushibo stood firm in his samurai stance and said in a low voice, "A few minutes ago, it was in my hands. However... to prevent you from succeeding, I gave it to Douma just now."
"Come, intruder. If you want to take the Red Stone, you'll have to get through me first."
"Your companion is not here. It is just the two of us now. Let us have a samurai's duel."
Adjusting his breathing, Kokushibo entered his combat stance. He was already viewing the Kars before him as Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Unlike with DIO, who was powerful but not a swordsman—even his Stand fought with its fists—Kars was different. Although arm blades were not swords, they were still sharp weapons. Fighting an opponent like this was what would make Kokushibo feel like he was fighting Yoriichi.
"Is that so? You mean to say you want to have a one-on-one battle with me, like in the Colosseum of ancient Rome?"
Walking forward slowly, Kars looked at Kokushibo, his eyes holding a captivating yet terrifying gaze.
He slowly brought his hands to his neck, and with a single motion, tore off his headwrap. It flew with the wind, soaring into the air.
Ayayaya~~
The iconic BGM of the Pillar Men began to play once again.
Kars spread the fingers of his left hand, palm facing himself, and brought his right arm under his left to his left hip. The blades on both hands unsheathed simultaneously.
As his elegant hair billowed out from under the headwrap, Kars's expression turned serious. His perfect and powerful physique, like a classical Greek sculpture, was presented before Kokushibo and the audience.
Kars... had entered his battle stance!
Lord Kars.
---o---
Author's Note:
PS: It's almost the end of the semester. Various projects, assignments, and exams are all piling up. I'm so tired. I just want to write happily...