Gyalzen POV
Wamuu's remains scattered in the wind, I noticed Joseph giving his opponent one final salute. And I could understand why. Neither of us held any affinity for the Pillar Man, but regardless of that, we had to acknowledge his show of honour. He was brave to the end. That much was certain.
For a moment all was silent, Kars closed his eyes and clasped at the stray particles. Once his eyes slowly began to open, he spoke in a tone showing no clear emotion. "Wamuu, he was too pure of a warrior. That purity made him weak!"
The Vampires nearby began talking among themselves "Wamuu lost? What a disappointment." Another added "That fool was just posturing." Lisa Lisa stated coldly "Your friends are so low, it makes me want to puke."
In an instant, a blade lanced out, stabbing the three Vampires that had insulted Wamuu through the head. Kars stood, using the blade to train the essence from the three until they were frail and nothing but bone. He dropped them to the ground, withdrawing the blade into his arm.
In an instant, he tossed his headwrap aside revealing long flowing purple hair as he declared "Only I remain. HOWEVER." Raising the blade once more, he said "I alone ALWAYS stand on top!" The remaining Vampires went crazy as it was now clear Kars was intent on continuing the challenge. Not that I expected him to back down anyway.
There was a flash of light from his body as one of the Vampires barked "Lord Kars, there's no reason to fight one-on-one!" Another called "Who needs rules? Let us take them!" They lunged forward shrieking "We'll turn them into sprays of blood!"
Before they could reach us though, Lisa Lisa leapt upwards and swiftly kicked two of them before holding up the red stone. The Vampires began to panic as she said "I told you. It's me against Kars. One-on-one. But if you don't like those terms, I'll just smash it!"
She held the stone overhead, preparing to potentially smash it when Kars spoke up to defuse the situation. "I'm a man of my word. One-on-one. My promise still stands. That's why I revealed my horn to you. As for my underling's behaviour. They're already dead as you can see."
As these words were spoken, the Vampires fell into slices having already been cut when Kars was talking. Kars informed "All I want is the red stone. However, Wamuu and Esidisi were my comrades for ten thousand years. I must honour both their deaths and their pride. I will fight you Hamon users fairly. And finish this with my own hands. Lisa Lisa, after seeing you fight, I won't think of you as a woman. I will fight you with all my strength."
Timeskip...
Kars lead us out of the arena, towards a strange stone construct as he said "We fight over there. The temple at Piz Berlina. Champions once came here to drink the blood of the fallen mixed with liquor. They thanked the gods for the joys of life. It's not an arena, but it will add to our fight."
Joseph voiced concerns about Lisa Lisa's safety and insisted in taking over, even I suggested "I could fight in your stead if you'd like." Lisa Lisa however tossed her coat aside revealing a blue attire underneath as she stated "You will not! I haven't lived my life so that a pair of striplings have to stand up for me." Joseph commented "Oh, you're fifty. Right."
As she hopped up onto the narrow platform, both her and Kars facing one another as Kars stated "I will use my Brilliant Bone Blades. I would offend Wamuu if I didn't offer you a weapon. Take your pick." In front of Lisa Lisa was a pile of various weapons, though she kicked them aside without hesitation. She held up her scarf explaining "My scarf will suffice."
I knew better than to doubt her. I'd seen what she did to that Wired Beck. Kars just raised his blade, saying "I see. Then, let us fight." A grin spread across his face as light glimmered off the blade. Light began to glow from Kars' body and it was here, I gained a confused expression.
There was no violent intent in Kars' posture, he moved about elegantly and gently. I could tell Lisa Lisa sensed it as well, her expression indicated she was also on-edge as Kars stared blankly at her before saying. "What's the matter? Not coming? Then I'll make the first move!"
He charged forward and in that moment, there was another flash of light that temporarily blinded me, Joseph and Lisa Lisa. When the light died down, Kars had vanished. Joseph pointed out "Kars disappeared with the light! Where is he?!"
There was no sign of him until he suddenly emerged from one of the pillars behind her yelling "BRILLIANT BONE BLADE!" Lisa Lisa called out "SNAKE MUFFLER!" Flipping backwards, she dived over the strike, explaining "This Satiporoja beetle scarf is the perfect Hamon conductor. It is a weapon and a life detector. It even picks up attacks from behind!"
As soon as she said those words, she struck Kars across the face! He staggered before a surge of Hamon shot from the right-side, where the blow had hit! Joseph cheered "S-she did it! That's my coach! Wonderful!" I was stunned to silence, eventually, I settled on "I-I can't believe it. She did it."
As Kars collapsed to the pillar, face steaming with Hamon, Joseph celebrated "He didn't compare to Wamuu! But barkers seldom bite!" It was as he said these words, I don't even know how I didn't notice.
Stab!
Lisa Lisa's eyes went wide! Kars stood behind Lisa Lisa, blank expression on his face as his blade stabbed through her back and out of her stomach!
How! How were there TWO Kars'?! My answer came as the one on the ground screamed in a shrill un-Kars-like voice. "LORD KARS!" Joseph muttered "If Kars was behind her, who is below her? What the-?!" I exclaimed "What the hell is going on?!"
The false Kars' body dissolved as Joseph yelled "Kars wasn't the one fighting her! It was a double!" Withdrawing his blade, Lisa Lisa collapsed onto the pillar. Kars looked down on her with a smug expression.
"How utterly stupid. Why would I fight one-on-one? All I want is the red stone. I'm not a warrior like Wamuu, nor am I a romantic. No matter what the method, in the end..." As he sliced his blade upwards through Lisa Lisa, he yelled "VICTORY IS ALL THAT MATTERS!"
It made sense now, why his posture held no violence. He never intended to fight himself. Kars roared "IT'S OVER!" Landing another strike to Lisa Lisa, she collapsed to the ground. Kars caught hold of the red stone and held it up stating "The red stone is MINE! Now all that's left is for all of you to kill those two annoyances!"
The remaining Vampires all charged forward, I could tell me and Joseph felt the exact same right now. Pure rage! Kars was nothing more than a coward! In unison we both yelled "KARS!! YOU'RE GOING DOWN!"
With that declaration, we began taking the fight to the Vampires. I connected a Hamon-infused chop to one's neck, Joseph punched another. As we fought through them, Joseph yelled "Out of the way! We'll split your skulls!"
However this soon came to a stand-still as while I was able to kill one or two, Joseph was too weak, his Hamon wasn't circulating properly. One of the Vampires noticed this "He's weakened! Now-!" He was cut off by Joseph yelling "REBUFF OVERDRIVE!" Knocking it down. I yelled "ZOOM PUNCH!" My extended arm collided with another.
Kars looked down on us, saying "You look worn out JoJo. I know Gyalzen can't face them all, himself. Your breathing is ragged and your Hamon is weak. And you two are all that is left from the Hamon users Lisa Lisa trained. Will you both last?"
We continued to fend off the Vampires, but there were too many. No matter how much we tried to knock them down, there always seemed to be more! We weren't going to last much longer! I was fully prepared to die then and there.
However we were soon bathed in an ultraviolet light. In a second, the Vampires began dissolving, freeing up the space around us. Our attention turned toward the source of the light and I instantly recognized the silhouette stood in front of them. As my eyes adjusted to the light, I could also make-out his face.
STROHEIM!
He snapped his fingers and addressed the enemy. "Listen up Vampires. You're up against von Stroheim and the German elite!" He gestured behind him as another party also spoke in unison. "AND WE'RE THE SPEEDWAGON FOUNDATON SPECIAL FORCES!"
All the soldiers were equipped with ultraviolet lighting and stood among them was another familiar face. The last one I expected to see. He called out "JOJO!" Joseph cheered "It's Speedwagon! And Smokey from New York."
The man who I hadn't seen since Mexico noticed me and spoke in a shocked tone "It's you... Straizo's student." He closed his eyes, smiled before opening them and said "I'm glad to see you're alright. Seems you managed to meet and make friends with JoJo here."
I nodded and said "Good to see you as well Speedwagon sir!" My attention turned to the boy with Speedwagon. Joseph called him 'Smokey'? I said "I don't believe we've met." The boy smiled "Oh right, I'm Smokey, Smokey Brown, nice to meet you."
Image of Smokey Brown:
I knew now wasn't the time for a proper introduction so instead I just responded "Gyalzen is my name. It's nice to meet you too." And even now, I never thought I'd say I was pleased to see Stroheim as well.
He grinned, saying "My leg's a bit stiff, but my body has been repaired! Now taste our anti-Vampire weaponry! ULTRAVIOLET LASERS!" From his shoulders extended two lamps much like those worn by both the Germans and Speedwagon's soldiers.
As the light burned the Vampires to ash, Speedwagon explained "The Speedwagon Foundation miniaturised them. But he does like to brag." The combined force of the light was easily handling the Vampires. And it was in this moment, JoJo also vanished.
I asked "JoJo?" Looking around, I soon spotted him atop the pillar where Kars stood. I sighed, you take your eyes off him for one second. From where I stood, I couldn't tell what was being said exactly, but from their body language and expression, I could paint a vague picture.
Joseph was likely accusing Kars of betraying Lisa Lisa's trust and Wamuu's honour by going against the one-on-one rules. Kars would justify his actions, say something like 'The ends justify the means' or something like that. He held the stone up and pointed at Joseph.
It seemed for a moment they were about to fight. However Kars did something strange, it seems he was once again taking the coward's way out. Resorting to using the injured Lisa Lisa as a hostage. This only made my despise him further.
He picked up Lisa Lisa's legs and for a moment, it seemed he was using them like a guitar! In any other situation, this would be absolutely hilarious. Even now, I felt a slight laugh coming, though it was easy to stifle. Now wasn't the time nor place. It was a mocking gesture.
In a swift gesture, he stabbed his blade through her feet! From where I stood, it seemed he'd placed a rope through the hole! He proceeded to THROW her from the pillar, causing her to fall! Joseph barely had time to reach out and grab the rope, preventing her fall!
Next to me, Speedwagon called out "JoJo! Lisa Lisa!" The boy named Smokey exclaimed "That's Lisa Lisa?! Do you mean the baby on the ship that Granny Erina told us about?" I was about to step forward and intervene when Smokey said something that made my blood freeze.
"That means, that woman is... JoJo's..." Kars began to step forward, Joseph yelled "KARS YOU BASTARD! I HOPE YOU ROT IN HELL FOREVER!" Smokey dropped some news I wasn't expecting. Not in a million years.
"That woman, Lisa Lisa, is JoJo's MOTHER!"
Everything seemed to freeze mentally for me. I muttered "What? Did you say, mother?!" Speedwagon was the one to nod, he answered "I don't think you were meant to know this. Even JoJo is none the wiser. But I feel now, it is only right I tell you. Just promise me something."
I nodded, Speedwagon ordered "Don't tell JoJo." I replied "You have my word." And I meant it. It wasn't my place to say anything and I knew what I was about to hear was personal information, stuff Lisa Lisa had kept secret for years.
Speedwagon told me everything. About Lisa Lisa's husband, Erina's biological son George Joestar II. How he was killed by one of the Brando sibling's remaining zombies. Lisa Lisa's revenge on said zombie and how she was forced to abandon her only son, the infant Joseph and live the life she did now. Her real name was Elizabeth Joestar.
As soon as the explanation was done, my mind was left in a mess, constantly trying to figure out what I'd been told. It was almost too much information to take in. One thing was clear, I couldn't stand idly by and watch this unfold. The next thing to come from Speedwagon's mouth was "Gyalzen what are you DOING!"
I sprinted as fast as I could through the Vampires, any I crossed that hadn't dissolved under the light were swiftly cut down. Channelling Hamon into my hands and feet I rapidly climbed up the pillar. This made me glad I'd taken that challenge back on Air Supplena Island. This pillar was far easier to climb.
Once high enough, I lunged out silently. Joseph let out a shocked "Gyalzen?!" Kars could only give me a wide-eyed sideways glance as I latched onto him, my hands wrapped around his throat sending a burst of Hamon through him.
Kars let out a growl of pain before reaching around to attack, I leapt up and over, landing directly in between him and Joseph, effectively cutting off his intended strategy. With a look of fierce determination, I glared directly into the Pillar Man's eyes. Kars simply raised his arm, showing off one of the bone blades as he calmly spoke.
"You or JoJo, it doesn't matter who dies first. But if you are so desperate. Then I will happily oblige..."
Author's Note: And that's it for this chapter. In the next one we will get the rematch between Gyalzen and Kars. I hope you enjoyed and as always, thank you for reading.