Light Curtain Barrage—
This wasn't the first time the audience had seen the Light Mode, but this time, with the close-ups and explanations provided by the light curtain, they gained a much deeper understanding of it.
The so-called Light Mode was, at its core, a series of hardened blades concealed within the bones of Kars's forearms and shins.
These blades were lined with countless microscopic serrations that could spin at high speeds like a chainsaw. The spine of the blade was connected to the bone by a folding, mechanical-like structure, allowing them to pop out for combat.
Detective Conan: "So... it's basically a saw? And the teeth are tiny and sharp. No wonder it can cut through anything."
The Man of Light and Saws: "Hmph. Although Kars stands as an enemy to us Ultras, I must admit, a sharp weapon incorporating a chainsaw is indeed very effective."
Yukino Yukinoshita: "Sigh, the power level in the Demon Slayer world is a bit too weak. Even their top fighter, Kokushibo, is getting completely dominated. Compared to the Type-Moon and Honkai worlds, the gap is enormous."
Kaguya Shinomiya: "Is it a difference in world tiers? But compared to our world of ordinary people, the Demon Slayer world is already quite high-level, isn't it? At least they have unnatural forces like Breathing Styles and demons..."
Light Yagami: "You're overestimating the Demon Slayer world. Neither the demons nor the Hashira stand a chance against modern military weaponry. Even Kars, based on the combat power he's shown so far, couldn't contend with modern arms. The only truly overpowered existence we've seen to date... is the Stand."
In the world of the Death Note, Light Yagami sat quietly at his desk, typing his analysis.
The Pillar Men, the demons—their weaknesses were too obvious. With modern technology, scientists were already on the verge of creating an artificial sun, let alone artificial sunlight.
As long as their weakness to the sun existed, the Pillar Men and demons would struggle to make any significant waves in modern society. At most, they could cause panic in a localized area.
The one thing that remained utterly inexplicable by science was the Stand...
So far, only three had appeared: Star Platinum, The World, and Hermit Purple. Aside from Hermit Purple, which was a standard support-type Stand, the other two were close-range power types.
And The World's ability to stop time was, to this day, an unsolvable power. Whether it was Star Platinum or Hermit Purple, defeating The World while it could stop time was a near-impossible task.
---o---
On-screen—
The battle between Kars and Kokushibo continued, but Kars now held a crushing advantage.
Just as the victor was about to be decided, the light curtain suddenly shifted its focus elsewhere.
This habit of cutting away at the most crucial moment was driving the audience absolutely mad.
This was the climax! Many people had already dropped their pants, and now you cut away?
But just as the audience was about to condemn this practice, the camera focused on Joseph and Kujo Jotaro.
On screen, Joseph Joestar and Kujo Jotaro were staring each other down. The two men, both standing at one hundred and ninety-five centimeters, were frozen like a pair of statues, their gazes locked.
"If I remember correctly... aren't those two grandfather and grandson?"
"That's right. Joseph Joestar is Kujo Jotaro's grandfather."
"I wonder how Kujo Jotaro will react when he sees what his grandfather looked like when he was young."
The meeting of the two main protagonists instantly ignited the audience's desire for drama, making them forget all about the Kars and Kokushibo fight.
As the old saying goes, "Brothers fight tigers together, father and son go to battle together." Though in this case, it wasn't father and son, but grandfather and grandson...
---o---
"Hey, hey, hey, fellas and ladies! Are you guys having a team-building exercise out here? Why is everyone carrying a sword?"
On the outskirts of Asakusa, beyond the Infinity Castle, the distinctive and eye-catching attire of the Demon Slayer Corps immediately caught Joseph's attention as he passed by.
He didn't know what was happening, but it seemed like some internal conflict was brewing within the Demon Slayer Corps. They appeared to be arguing about something, and the atmosphere was as tense as a powder keg.
But that was none of Joseph's business. His gaze had long since been fixed on the man standing at the center of the group—a handsome man, one hundred and ninety-five centimeters tall, who stood out from the crowd.
For some reason, Joseph had a strange feeling, a peculiar sense of destiny drawing him and the man before him together.
Moreover, from Kujo Jotaro, Joseph sensed a unique blood connection. It was faint, but he could definitely feel it.
"A passing foreigner? Hmph. Asakusa really is a big city, to think we'd see a foreigner in the outskirts at night. You can see the sword in my hand, so get lost, now."
In the crowd, the Wind Hashira, Sanemi Shinazugawa, who had just been arguing, was particularly conspicuous, being the only one covered in scars.
Joseph's flippant demeanor made the Wind Hashira frown. He wanted to drive him away on the spot. This was demon territory, and enemies could appear at any moment. A helpless man like him being here was incredibly dangerous.
However, Joseph paid no mind to Sanemi's threat. Instead, he carefully observed the group of Demon Slayers. Though he had a basic understanding, Joseph preferred to see things with his own eyes.
Kujo Jotaro was, of course, the most prominent man in the center. His towering height and the invincible aura he exuded constantly drew Joseph's attention.
Behind Jotaro were a few masked Demon Slayers in uniform; they were likely just background, what you'd call extras, not main characters.
The six men and women in haori on either side of him must be the "Hashira" those three women had mentioned. Their husbands were probably among them.
The Flame Hashira with orange-red hair, the Love Hashira with pink hair, and the dazed-looking Mist Hashira stood to Jotaro's right.
The fierce-looking Wind Hashira, the somewhat withdrawn Water Hashira, and the only other female, the Insect Hashira, were on Jotaro's left.
To dispatch six Hashira at once, plus Kujo Jotaro—such a豪華 lineup. Did this mean they had found the Demon King's hideout?
"Um... excuse me, sir. It's not safe here. Please, go home quickly," the red-haired boy said. He was also one of the companions standing behind Jotaro, but because he was a child, Joseph hadn't paid him much mind.
It wasn't until he spoke that Joseph shifted his gaze to him, carefully sizing up everyone and the look in their eyes.
Joseph extended an index finger towards the group. "Ahem, while I would love to go home and reunite with my Granny Erina, and the Demon Slayer Corps doesn't really have anything to do with me... may I ask a question? A very important one."
"And that is... why is there a demon within the ranks of the Demon Slayer Corps?"
"You, the red-haired kid. Those two next to you, they're demons, aren't they? I've only seen a demon once, but my Hamon has already memorized their foul aura. There's no mistaking that stench."
His tone was just as flippant, but as soon as the words left Joseph's mouth, he instantly captured the full attention of the Demon Slayer Corps and Kujo Jotaro.
The Wind Hashira, Sanemi, looked murderous and was about to draw his sword. But before he could say anything, the demon Joseph had pointed at became indignant, shouting, "Hey, hey, what are you talking about, you ugly oaf!"
"What part of Lady Tamayo is foul-smelling? How dare you insult Lady Tamayo, I'll absolutely—"
"Yushiro!! Say no more." The female demon named Tamayo cut off the white-haired man's outburst. She clenched her fist, then quickly relaxed it.
She looked around in despair. This collaboration with the Demon Slayer Corps was once again repeating the same mistakes. People who had been hurt by demons would never trust a demon again.
That was right. The internal argument Joseph had overheard was about her and Yushiro.
The Wind Hashira, who despised demons with a passion, refused to listen to any of Tamayo's explanations and had even tried to attack them several times. If it weren't for the man in the middle, she and Yushiro would probably already be dead by the Wind Hashira's blade.
And the other Hashira and Demon Slayers, though they said nothing, had been staring at her and Yushiro the entire way. The hostility in their eyes was plain for anyone to see.
Even with Kagaya Ubuyashiki's orders, the vast majority of the Corps refused to trust Tamayo. The only one who seemed to have any faith in her was a boy who had only just joined.
"Granny Erina? Hamon?"
Hearing those two keywords, Kujo Jotaro, who had merely found Joseph odd and vaguely familiar, now stared intently at his face.
He looked familiar, but Jotaro was sure he had never met this young man before.
"Hmph. We could have entered the Infinity Castle without this woman. Master Ubuyashiki's decision was completely unnecessary. Now even outsiders think the Demon Slayer Corps is in league with demons," the Wind Hashira muttered under his breath. His personality, which loathed evil, made him reject all demons, even if Tamayo and Yushiro had broken free from Muzan's control and didn't eat humans.
"Yakamashi!"
Seeing the Wind Hashira about to continue his tirade, Kujo Jotaro directly silenced him, pointing a finger at him. "It's because of you that we've been delayed here for so long!"
He then turned to the other Hashira. "And you all. I don't know what grudge you have against demons, but I, Kujo Jotaro, have always held to one principle."
"There's an old saying from the ancient country next door: 'Every injustice has its perpetrator, every debt its debtor.' If you have a grudge, go find that bastard named Kibutsuji Muzan, don't stand here pointing fingers at a woman!"
Jotaro's voice was practically a roar. He felt incredibly irritated. He was never suited for leadership in the first place, yet Kagaya Ubuyashiki had entrusted him with this mission to subjugate Muzan.
If he hadn't promised the Insect Hashira he'd help her deal with her nemesis, he wouldn't have come to this place for anything.
"And you!" Jotaro strode forward and pointed at Joseph. "If you're an ordinary person, then stop meddling. If you're not, then state your purpose clearly."
Joseph just frowned, and then... a golden ripple of Hamon flashed.
"Nani?" The golden energy shot across the ground toward Jotaro with the speed of lightning, accompanied by Joseph's jaunty voice.
"Hey, Kujo Jotaro, right? I, JoJo, have heard your name. They say you're a man possessed by an evil spirit. So... can you stop this move?"
The lightning-fast Hamon rushed at Jotaro. The next moment, a fist slammed violently into the ground, cutting off the Hamon's conduction.
The powerful physique of Star Platinum materialized before Joseph's eyes. At over two meters tall with chiseled muscles, it suddenly made Joseph feel like his Hermit Purple was a bit lacking.
"ORA—"
Grabbing a nearby rock, Star Platinum threw it at Joseph's head like a professional pitcher.
This move scared the wits out of both the audience and the Demon Slayers. They all knew how powerful Star Platinum was; this one throw was meant to kill Joseph.
Seeing this, Joseph stopped probing. The thorns of Hermit Purple shot out instantly, infused with Hamon, making them incredibly hard. They split the airborne rock cleanly in two.
"That... That is?" The moment Hermit Purple appeared, Kujo Jotaro's eyes widened, staring intently at the Stand wrapped around Joseph's wrist.
Joseph, however, spread his hands open as if nothing had happened, a slight smile playing on his lips.
"Yare yare, what a hot-tempered fella. If I didn't have a few tricks up my sleeve, you'd be a murderer right now."
In truth... the rock had been aimed to fly past the side of his head; it would never have actually hit him.
Just like him, the man before him was also testing him. It was just that his methods were a bit... aggressive.
If that evil spirit of his had aimed just a little off, and if Joseph hadn't possessed an ability like Hermit Purple, his head would probably have been blown clean off.
Or was it that the spirit's precision was far greater than Hermit Purple's, allowing Jotaro to use such a risky method of testing him?
"Let me guess your name... it wouldn't happen to be Joseph Joestar, would it?"
When you eliminate a million impossibilities, whatever remains, no matter how outrageous, no matter how unbelievable, must be the correct answer.
He called his great-great-grandmother Erina "Granny," he possessed the power of Hamon that was specifically for fighting demons, and most of all, he had a Stand that could not be faked.
As he pieced it all together, the image of the elderly Joseph in Kujo Jotaro's mind gradually began to overlap with the young man standing before him...