Who would have known? Upper Rank Three, a demon with countless lives on his hands, had such a past.
As Akaza's history was revealed, the audience outside the light curtain finally understood the full story.
And once again, although Akaza was not the first Upper Rank demon whose backstory had been shown, the audience was hit right in the feels.
They had thought that one tragic character under a pathetic boss like Kibutsuji Muzan was enough. They never expected that even Akaza, the martial arts fanatic, would have such an unknown past.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage—
Utaha Kasumigaoka: "Akaza... no, I should say Hakuji. He was a true man. A true man full of tragedy."
In the world of Saekano, Utaha Kasumigaoka put down her manuscript, her gaze fixed on the image of Hakuji with deep respect.
For her, an author of romance novels, the bond between Hakuji and Koyuki had undoubtedly moved her to her core.
Detective Conan: "Akaza took many lives. Even if he did so after losing his memories, he still deserves to go to hell to atone for his sins. However... the man he was before, Hakuji, is someone truly worthy of admiration."
Kaguya Shinomiya: "What is more demonic than a demon is humanity itself... He was not at fault. The fault lies with Kibutsuji Muzan, and with that man-eating era."
The Overseer of Schicksal: "The reason Akaza sought to become stronger was for his beloved, Koyuki. Even his Blood Demon Art takes the form of snowflake petals. Such intense emotion is both brilliant and dazzling."
Shinobu Kocho: "Kibutsuji Muzan... He is the source of all evil. Everything is his fault. If it weren't for him, Hakuji would never have become Akaza. If it weren't for him... my sister would never have died at the hands of a demon!"
---o---
Having remembered everything, Hakuji, guided by Koyuki, departed to the underworld to atone for his sins.
As his soul dissipated, the body it had sustained began to crumble away as if consumed by flames.
"...I see. Your wife has come for you, then?"
Communication between warriors requires no words. Wamuu set aside his regretful expression, his face once again becoming a cold mask.
He raised a hand and made a fist, his gaze directed toward the sky where Akaza's soul had vanished.
"Only the strong are worthy of being my friends. Akaza, was it? You are one of the few warriors who have stirred my fighting spirit. I will forever etch your name in the corner of my memory."
With that, Wamuu prepared to continue his search for the controller of the Infinity Castle. He had wasted too much time here; he had to pick up the pace.
However, just then, the unexpected happened. A flash of golden light shot toward Wamuu's back with the speed of lightning, far too fast for him to react.
Pfft...!
With almost no suspense, the golden ripple of Hamon struck Wamuu's defenseless back without any resistance.
"Nice! It worked!"
A jaunty voice rang out as Joseph's dashing figure appeared on screen.
Seeing his sneak attack succeed, he even snapped his fingers as Hermit Purple, wrapped around his wrist, channeled the full force of the Hamon into Wamuu's body.
Joseph was no warrior. Although he possessed an unwavering Golden Spirit, he would never engage in a gentlemanly duel with a dangerous-looking character like Wamuu, unlike his grandfather Jonathan.
It wasn't that Joseph himself was devious, but for a being like a Pillar Man—a natural enemy of humanity with countless lives on his hands—there was no need for a fair fight.
Treating an enemy like a gentleman would only get you killed faster. Compared to such troublesome martial ethics, Joseph preferred to eliminate the most dangerous enemies at the lowest possible cost. This was the very principle of "total victory" mentioned in The Art of War!
Sizzle—!
Taking a direct Hamon hit to the spine, the part of Wamuu's body struck by the energy quickly turned a molten red-yellow, like lava. If that blow had landed on his head, he might have died instantly.
"Urgh." With a pained expression, Wamuu was momentarily stunned, likely not expecting to be ambushed in such a way.
After all, he was no stranger to Hamon users. A key characteristic of Hamon was that it had to be conducted through an object or physical contact. Anything of the sort approaching Wamuu would have been detected by him well in advance.
But... Hermit Purple was something Wamuu could not sense. As a manifestation of spiritual energy, not only could it conduct Hamon with one hundred percent efficiency, but its stealth was also top-tier.
Ordinary people couldn't see it at all. And while a Pillar Man with his powerful spiritual energy could perceive it, his lack of experience in dealing with it meant he had no way to dodge a Stand's surprise attack.
"Hey! Your name is Wamuu, right? I've heard of you. You're Esidisi's colleague, a subordinate of Kars?"
"So, what do you think of my Hermit Purple Hamon Overdrive? You must be feeling pretty terrible right now."
"If you tell me where Kars is, maybe I'll help you pass on a little faster."
Spouting lines that were almost indistinguishable from a villain's, Joseph continuously probed Wamuu's limits.
Hermit Purple's precision wasn't on par with Star Platinum's, so it hadn't struck the back of Wamuu's neck exactly as Joseph intended, but the wound was still severe.
It was just enough to allow Joseph to interrogate him about the location of the Pillar Men's leader, Kars.
"..." Wamuu touched his wound. The Hamon was incredibly potent. A Hamon of this level would have been considered top-tier even among the Hamon clan two thousand years ago.
And that purple phantom that had already retracted to the user's wrist—that was the thing that had conducted the Hamon into his body.
Wamuu ignored the ambusher. To him, even if he was injured by a sneak attack, it was a result of his own lack of skill. He had no one to blame but himself.
"Humans are inherently fragile. It is understandable that they would resort to such methods."
He clawed at his own wound and, with a single motion, tore the chunk of his flesh that had been corroded by Hamon right off his body.
"Hiss... Doesn't that hurt?" Seeing Wamuu's resolve, Joseph couldn't help but suck in a sharp breath. This guy was a little too hardcore. No matter what, that was still his own flesh and blood.
Although a Pillar Man's constitution was different from a human's, he was still a living creature. And as long as it was a living creature, it should feel pain.
"This is nothing. Sometimes, when struck by a Hamon warrior, this is the only way to stop the damage."
To Joseph's surprise, Wamuu answered calmly, his eyes burning with a fierce fighting spirit, and... and intense hatred?
Yes, hatred. Was it because of Esidisi? Because Esidisi had died at his hands, Wamuu now hated him. What a joke. This feeling was as if he had become the archvillain.
Indeed, Joseph now felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles. Wamuu's gaze actually made him feel a sliver of fear. The pressure exuded by this pure warrior was far greater than Esidisi's.
"Your friends must be nearby. Through the wind, I can feel their presence."
Wamuu's words sent a cold sweat running down Joseph's back. To avoid being detected, Jotaro and the others were at least seven or eight hundred meters away, with numerous buildings in between.
Was he kidding? With that much distance and obstruction, how could Wamuu have found them? And his reason was "through the wind"?
What wind? Why couldn't he feel it himself? Was there even wind in the Infinity Castle?
"You don't seem to want them to come over. Is it because they are not Hamon warriors?"
Wamuu's wound was healing at a visible rate. He had devoured a great number of demons before this, and the energy stored within his body was enough for rapid regeneration.
"The first round is over, Hamon warrior. You can be proud of having been able to wound me, Wamuu."
With a cold and murderous gaze, Wamuu spoke softly. Not a single scar remained on his body.
Towards this Hamon warrior who had killed Lord Esidisi, Wamuu felt both respect for a powerful fighter and a burning hatred, a desire for revenge.
"He recovered that fast? Is it because he'd already eaten his fill? A pity Hermit Purple didn't hit him directly in the head."
Joseph sighed, remarking that this, too, must be fate. If Hermit Purple's aim had been a little better, there wouldn't be a second round.
"However," Joseph's tone shifted. He pointed his index finger at Wamuu, a supremely confident smile spreading across his face. "Wamuu, your next line is: 'Hamon warrior, I, Wamuu, will now avenge Lord Esidisi!'"
"Hamon warrior, I, Wamuu, will now avenge Lord Esidisi—?"
The words left his mouth, and Wamuu was stunned. He had to admit, that trick of Joseph's was an incredibly effective way to mess with an opponent's mind.
And in that brief moment of Wamuu's shock, Joseph made his move... or more accurately, the Hermit Purple on Joseph's wrist made its move.
Hamon combined with Hermit Purple—this move had been invincible. Of all the opponents Joseph had faced so far, almost none could counter it head-on.
"Heh heh! So what if your wound is healed? Round two is my round, too!"
Hermit Purple shot toward Wamuu like lightning. Joseph was being utterly despicable.
Although quite a few viewers liked Joseph, his actions certainly sparked a great deal of debate among the audience.
Back on screen, this time Hermit Purple was unleashed right in front of Wamuu, so he didn't fail to react as he had before.
Wamuu was a natural-born warrior, the most powerful combatant among the Pillar Men. His talent for battle was far beyond imagination.
An ordinary person facing such a Hamon attack, even Kars, would have to dodge and avoid a direct confrontation. But Wamuu was different. He chose the riskiest option.
Not only did Wamuu not stand still and wait for the attack to hit him, he charged directly toward Hermit Purple's thorny vines.
"Nani!?" Joseph cried out, his eyes filled with utter confusion. Was this guy tired of living? A Pillar Man's resistance to Hamon was higher than a vampire's, but not to the point where he could willingly touch the power of the sun.
Before Joseph could say anything else, Wamuu's next move left him completely floored. Wamuu... had actually grabbed the Hamon-coated surface of Hermit Purple with his bare hand.
Wasn't Hamon a weakness for Pillar Men and demons? For those who feared the sun, touching Hamon was tantamount to suicide.
Just as Joseph was expecting to see Wamuu collapse powerlessly, the unexpected happened. Wamuu's right hand gripped Hermit Purple tightly, and the Hamon covering it did him no harm whatsoever.
With a powerful tug!
The next moment, Joseph felt a colossal force. Even though he quickly retracted Hermit Purple, his body was still pulled uncontrollably toward Wamuu.
Hamon Overdrive!
Seeing that Wamuu was about to run him through, Joseph immediately wrapped his own body in Hamon, avoiding the possibility of being killed instantly.
As his hands crashed against Wamuu's, the now close-up Joseph finally understood why Wamuu could touch Hamon directly.
In his field of vision, he could see that Wamuu wasn't actually touching Hermit Purple. Instead, he was using the wind to create a barrier of air pressure in his palm, using that to 'grab' the Stand.
This guy... he's really not easy to deal with!
Making a snap judgment, Joseph launched a double elbow strike at Wamuu. An Elbow Hamon Overdrive knocked Wamuu back.
However, the attack did not create much distance between them. And now, thanks to Joseph's struggles, Wamuu had found the perfect opportunity to unleash his Mode.
Clenching his fists, Wamuu unhesitatingly thrust his hands forward. And then... "Secret Technique: Divine Sandstorm!"
The next instant, a ferocious gale erupted, its overwhelming power sweeping directly toward Joseph's body.
Even as a Hamon warrior, even as a Stand user, Joseph's body was still that of an ordinary human. If he took this attack head-on, he would surely die!
"Not good! Hermit Purple! Rhythm of the Hamon!"
The feeling of the gale scraping against his face was terrifyingly real. Joseph hadn't expected Wamuu's combo to be so fluid, as if it had been rehearsed beforehand. He was still in the probing stage, while his opponent was already trying to kill him.
This was the difference in combat genius. Wamuu was a true prodigy of battle; there was no doubt about it.
"Aaaargh!!!"
A cry of pain echoed as Joseph's body was thrown into the air by the Divine Sandstorm, then slammed violently back onto the ground.
Even with the aid of Hamon and Hermit Purple, Joseph was struck down, unconscious...