Joseph... was dead?
How was that possible? The Joseph whose intellect and on-the-spot reactions were far beyond those of an ordinary person was actually dead?
Everything Joseph had shown so far suggested he was not someone who could be defeated so easily. In his previous confrontation with the Pillar Man Esidisi, they had traded blows, but Joseph had always been the one in control.
His strategic mind was, if not peerless, at least first-class. On top of that, Joseph's greatest strength was his exceptionally brilliant reaction time.
No matter the enemy, no matter how bizarre or powerful their abilities, Joseph had always displayed an outstanding ability to adapt, often finding ways to win that the audience could never have predicted.
The viewers outside the light curtain would never believe that such a clever and resourceful person would die so meaninglessly.
---o---
Light Curtain Barrage—
Detective Conan: "Joseph used Hamon and Hermit Purple when Wamuu unleashed Divine Sandstorm. He shouldn't have been killed in one hit."
Caesar Zeppeli: "With the defensive power of Hamon, trying to block that move would have been a tall order. And as for Hermit Purple... I doubt it could cover Joseph's entire body."
Sosuke Aizen: "Correct. No matter how powerful Joseph is, his body is still that of a mortal. Even if he used Hamon and his Stand to save his life, he would have completely lost the ability to fight."
Elysia: "Oh, this is making me so anxious! Is Joseph okay or not? He can't lose to that bad guy!"
In the Honkai world, Elysia, residing in the Elysian Realm, pouted. Her pink eyes were filled with impatience. Though she said this, she seemed to have already confirmed in her heart that Joseph would be fine.
As for why, Elysia didn't know. Let's just call it a girl's sixth sense.
---o---
On-screen—
Under the worried gazes of countless viewers across the multiverse, Joseph lay motionless on the ground.
He was covered in blood, and the shocking amount of it certainly didn't make it look like he was okay.
"This is... really bad. This guy is a genius-type warrior. His reaction speed is no less than mine."
Playing dead on the ground, Joseph looked like he had lost a fatal amount of blood, but he was actually perfectly fine, even having the leisure to feign his death.
Wamuu's Divine Sandstorm was indeed powerful. The howling wind was like a tidal wave, vowing to destroy everything in its path.
But... Joseph had anticipated this. He knew from the start that Wamuu's Mode was related to wind. Combined with the Pillar Men's preference for close-quarters combat, and though he hadn't expected it to be quite this powerful, Joseph was already prepared.
"There are traces of a fierce battle on the ground. Aside from the fist-shaped craters that don't match Wamuu's hand size, there are also marks that look like they've been swept by wind."
"Those gouges in the ground don't look like they were carved by a sharp weapon. They look like they were formed by Wamuu's Wind Mode."
As Joseph replayed the events in his mind, he also explained it to the audience.
To counter the Divine Sandstorm, Joseph had been watching Wamuu's hand movements from the very beginning. He had cleverly used Hermit Purple to maneuver himself in mid-air, avoiding a direct hit from the attack.
Even so, Joseph was still badly injured. Though he had protected his vital spots, the Divine Sandstorm's attack had still struck him solidly.
"Now... I just have to wait for Wamuu to turn his back again. This distance is close enough for Hermit Purple to wrap around his neck and channel Hamon into his brain. That way, no matter how strong Wamuu's healing is, he'll be dead for sure."
Lying on the ground, Joseph thought to himself. The method was despicable, but it was the one that could achieve the greatest victory with the least cost.
Retracting his ultimate technique, Wamuu walked over to Joseph, looking down at his "corpse."
"Is he dead?"
A hint of relaxation tinged his cold tone. It was the expected result. The Joseph before him had been too reckless, and that recklessness had created the opportunity for Wamuu to defeat him.
He had no intention of dealing with Joseph's body. As he'd thought before, he had already wasted too much time here. He had to capture the demon controlling the Infinity Castle as soon as possible.
Turning his head, Wamuu was about to expose his back, just as Joseph had predicted.
"Here's my chance! Hermit Purple Hamon Overdrive!"
Just as Joseph was about to launch his sneak attack, Wamuu's icy voice reached his ears.
"Are you trying to replicate the ambush from the first round?"
"Do you really take me for a fool, JoJo? As the man who killed Lord Esidisi, how could you be defeated so easily?"
Turning sideways, Wamuu's gaze was incredibly cold, like the winter wind. The pendant on his headdress moved without any breeze, and his entire body radiated a dangerous and powerful aura.
Very good. JoJo had thoroughly enraged him. This despicable coward... he had no idea what tricks he had used to kill Esidisi. He possessed a terrifyingly powerful Hamon, yet he had not a shred of a warrior's resolve.
As the air began to flow faster and more violently, and the pressure mounted, Joseph pushed himself up from the ground. His eyes showed no respect for the tense atmosphere. Instead, with a flippant tone like a street punk, he said:
"What a shame. I was so close to winning. In the end, I still have to fight such a dangerous enemy? This is going to be tough. How can a human possibly be a match for this kind of creature?"
His expression grew more and more exaggerated. Wamuu saw right through Joseph's act. This insult to their duel ignited a fire of rage within him, making him want to curse out loud on the spot.
It wasn't just him; even the audience was a bit bewildered. What was wrong with Joseph? It felt like he was a completely different person. His every action felt deliberate.
Was he intentionally trying to anger Wamuu to make him reveal an opening?
As the audience pondered this, a smirk appeared at the corner of Joseph's mouth, and he delivered his classic line: "Wamuu, next you're going to say..."
"JoJo, don't insult this duel!"
"JoJo! Don't you dare insult this duel!" Wamuu's furious voice thundered, and a hurricane of unprecedented force erupted from his body, born for battle.
But after shouting the words, he froze. Joseph had once again predicted his next line.
The next moment, a golden ripple of Hamon rose from beneath Wamuu's feet. The golden power of the sun, conducted by Joseph's Hermit Purple, traveled underground and seized Wamuu's ankles.
"What?" Wamuu exclaimed. His attention had been entirely focused on Joseph, completely missing that the Hermit Purple wrapped around Joseph's wrist had long since moved to his ankles.
"Wamuu, you think my fighting here is a 'duel' with you?"
"No, no, no, you're wrong, Wamuu. Completely wrong. From the very beginning, this was never a duel. It was a life-or-death slaughter."
Humans and Pillar Men were not the same species. Under that premise, a "duel" was a joke from the start.
Although Wamuu called it a duel, in Joseph's eyes, any method that could eliminate this dangerous enemy was a good method.
"How does the Hamon feel at this range? It should be rushing straight to your head by now!"
As Joseph finished speaking, the Hamon attack forced Wamuu to his knees, the power of the sun literally melting his feet.
The attack was so sudden, and its intensity far surpassed the first ambush, that the Hamon began to spread through his body instantly. Wamuu was completely unable to stand.
And Joseph was decisive. He had no intention of giving Wamuu any more chances. He immediately launched another Hermit Purple Hamon Overdrive, preparing to finish Wamuu for good.
Watching Hermit Purple approach, Wamuu's expression remained calm. He spoke indifferently, "Is that what you think, JoJo?"
"But in my eyes, regardless of race or anything else, as long as both sides possess a powerful resolve, it can be called a duel."
"Therefore... JoJo, what I am about to show you is my final secret technique—my Final Mode... Atmospheric Rift."
Final Mode: Atmospheric Rift—Wamuu extends tubes from his body, sucking in massive amounts of wind. He then hyper-compresses it in his lungs and fires it out from a tiny slit as a high-pressure jet stream as sharp as a razor.
It could be called a "scalpel of wind." But the friction and high temperatures generated while compressing the wind would also cause Wamuu's own body to gradually break down from the strain.
"Wamuu... you!"
Joseph was stunned. Wamuu was actually using such a self-destructive move to fight him. And he was so forthright about it. Dammit, this made him look so despicable in comparison.
Though the thought crossed his mind, Joseph's hands didn't slow. The Hermit Purple Hamon Overdrive did not stop; it continued straight for Wamuu's head.
However... with Wamuu's "scalpel of wind," this attack was doomed to fail. Wamuu controlled the wind blades from a distance, sending them flying toward Joseph's body.
If he touched those wind blades, Joseph would be obliterated without a trace. But... knowing this, Joseph had already dodged just as the blades were launched.
Since Wamuu's lower body was severely damaged by Hamon, he had lost all mobility and could only rotate his head to fire the wind blades.
This allowed Joseph to continuously anticipate and evade all his attacks.
"This isn't going to work. Although Wamuu is destroying himself, he's already devoured who knows how many demons. My stamina, on the other hand, is limited."
Realizing he couldn't defeat Wamuu with conventional methods, Joseph... quietly tore off a piece of his clothing and used Hamon to set it on fire.
The burning flame was sucked into Wamuu's body along with the wind, but how could such a tiny flame possibly harm him?
Completely unaffected, Wamuu continued his assault. However... the immobilized Wamuu hadn't seen that while dodging, Joseph had already piled all the nearby flammable materials around him.
Hermit Purple wasn't strong, but it was very convenient for moving things, much faster than Joseph could do it himself.
BOOM! A blinding flame erupted. The embers in the air, along with the poisonous carbon monoxide gas, were all inhaled by Wamuu without reservation.
Then, Wamuu's body began to swell at a visible rate, before exploding with a tremendous bang.
"Wamuu... you were truly a noble warrior. It was my mistake to ambush you, but this was all part of my calculations, too."
His body ruptured from the inflation, Wamuu, now just a head, smiled. "It was a roundabout path, but it was a rare duel."
"You won, JoJo. No matter what, the outcome of this battle would not have changed. Do it..."
Joseph had indeed used many tricks, but they had only served to speed up the battle's pace. Wamuu could see that. Joseph's battle intelligence was no less than his own, perhaps even greater.
He had lost. He deserved to pay with his life.
"Alright. As you wish!"
Sizzle! Joseph charged his Hamon and slammed his fist toward Wamuu's head.
CRACK! Covered in Hamon, the powerful blow smashed a crater into the ground, but Wamuu was unharmed. Instead, it was Joseph's hand that was dripping with blood.
Then, to Wamuu's astonishment, Joseph placed his broken fist on his head, continuously using his energy to ease his pain.
"JoJo... what are you doing? Are you humiliating me? Stop it..."
Receiving treatment from his enemy, Wamuu was clearly resistant, but Joseph spoke with unwavering resolve:
"Wamuu, I hate vampires. I hate creatures like you. But I have to admit..."
"You are a true warrior."
"I know how painful Hamon is for you. This... is my final respect for you."
"The battle is one thing. Respect is another."
Hearing this, Wamuu's voice became somber. "I'm no match for you, JoJo. It seems that when it comes to understanding battle, you are the stronger one."
"Although I stand on Lord Kars's side... JoJo, you... are a true gentleman."
"I was happy to be able to fight you, even though we only met for less than a few hours."
"But JoJo, in my long life, life itself has never been the most important thing. I am glad to have met an opponent like you."
"Perhaps I wandered for twelve thousand years just so that I could meet you."
"Farewell... JoJo."