Kars laid motionless on the ground before standing up without even bending his legs. The last few pieces of the shattered mask that were on his face as well as the Red Stone, quickly slid onto the ground.
Everyone stared at the Pillar Man in terrified silence, wondering what he was going to do. Joseph held your slightly shaking form even closer to try and comfort you, although he was terrified just as well. He whispered Kars' name.
"He stood up!" Shouted a German soldier, who was also very frightened.
Stroheim grit his teeth, "Stand your ground! German soldiers cower to no one!" Kars raised his melty Hamon infected arm, goopy flesh slowly dripped off while doing so. "The ultimate being? Foolishness! Nothing can ever achieve perfection!"
"Kars." Joseph said the now ultimate being's name once again. You were starting to wonder if he was stuck in repeat or something.
Stroheim pointed at Kars, trying to find something wrong with him, "Look! His arm! His wound from the Hamon is still smoking! It's spreading to the rest of his body! The Hamon will melt him away! He may've laid the Red Stone in the mask, but he's no different from before! He'll croak just the same! Re-engage the UV amplifiers! We'll finish him for good this time!" He looked to one of his soldiers standing near the mechanism, "Hurry it up!"
The man nodded, "Sir."
You gave a concerned look, "Uh, Stroheim, I wouldn't be so sure about that. I doubt he's the same as before." Everyone's eyes remained on Kars as he began turning his head, looking for something. "Are you oka-" You cut yourself off and tried to get into your head to not be so concerned over the enemy's wellbeing. It shouldn't matter to you if they were okay or not, but it just sort of happened.
"What's gotten into him?" Questioned Smokey. More worried than concerned.
Kars has his eyes locked onto a pair of owls with their talons wrapped around the branch of a leafless tree. He then glanced to the base of the tree where a squirrel was picking at some acorns, before it dropped one and skittered after it as it rolled away. It was kind of adorable. Until Kars' hand became green jelly and turned into a second squirrel.
"W-What the hell?!" Shouted Joseph as he covered your eyes.
You plucked his hand off your face, "JoJo, I've seen much worse than squirrel hands. You don't need to shield me from such a sight." The squirrel jumped from the arm stump and scampered up Kars's arm before nuzzling its head on Kars' cheek. "Awe, that's kind of cute." You whispered quietly.
Joseph heard you though, and whisper shouted back. "You see? This is why I covered your eyes! I knew something like this would happen! I can't have your mind clouded by the cuteness of his pet hand rodent thing."
Speedwagon questioned his sanity, "Am I seeing things? I could've sworn his hand turned into a squirrel!"
The squirrel launched itself from Kars' shoulder towards the other squirrel by the tree. The tree squirrel jumped towards the Kars squirrel seemingly attracted to it.
You tilted your head and rested the side of your face against the palm of your hand as you watched the exchange. "It's too late JoJo! My mind has been swayed. I cannot stop myself from siding with the ultimate being because he has hand squirrels." You said jokingly as you took a step towards the creatures. Although the current situation wasn't really the time for that sort of thing.
Joseph gripped your wrist tightly, "Stop! It's dangerous! Stay away from that squirrel!"
You gave a quiet laugh as you glanced back at the hand squirrel that was now eating the original. "Never mind. Hand squirrels are surprisingly vicious and deadly. Perhaps I will remain on the side of humanity after all." You squinted at the sight, trying to get a better look. "Does it have fangs? Did he seriously create some sort of vampire squirrel? Who does that?! And it's eyes are glowing red! Can it do the Space Ripper Stingy Eyes?!"
Joseph now put a hand over your mouth. Silencing the words pouring from your speaking hole. The crowd of onlookers watch in mild disgust as well as a sudden return of fear. The monster squirrel leaped around before practically drilling through the center of Stroheim who was luckily more metal than flesh. After doing that, it leaped to the other nearby people scratching through their faces and the rest of their body.
"Get out of here! Hurry!" Shouted Joseph. Most of the people began running away. You took a few steps away from Joseph and quickly moved your hands to grab the squirrel as it tried to jump onto another person.
Instead of the creature thrashing around and biting you like you had it expected it to, it immediately calmed down and reverted to its normal look. It nuzzled its tiny head on the side of your hand. You wondered if it was just because the animal liked you or if it wasn't hurting you because Kars didn't want it to. You glanced up at the ultimate being. He seemed to be purposefully ignoring the actions of the creature he had created.
"What are you doing (Y/N)?!" Shouted Joseph. "Let go of that thing!"
You crouched down and slowly placed it onto the ground. It rubbed its head on your hand once more before scampering back on over to Kars and going back to the handless wrist. You watched as the squirrel turned into a flower which then became a butterfly.
"Incredible!" Exclaimed Speedwagon. "He can manipulate any life form!"
The butterfly then became a hand. The sun began to make its way from behind the distant mountains. Kars glanced towards it and everyone seemed to sigh in relief.
"We made it!" Spoke Smokey, cheerfully. "It's finally daybreak!"
The army of vampires immediately burned up to ash and dust. You began to feel the slight burning sensation from the sunlight making contact with your skin.
"The vampires..." Speedwagon watched the effectiveness of the sun with great enthusiasm, "The sunlight will take care of Kars. We're saved."
Everyone looked in surprise at Kars who now had his arms extended out from his side. He was enjoying the sunlight he had never been able to touch before. His hair flowed around elegantly from the gentle breeze passing by and his eyes were closed.
Smokey stared frightfully, "No, Kars!"
Speedwagon was just as terrified, "He's turned his back to the sun... it's as if he's basking in the light!"
You were surprised as well. Although, not because of his new immunity of the sun, the whole purpose of him getting the Stone was for him to gain that ability and conquer the flaming ball of gas the Earth orbited around. No, you were surprised because when you had glanced up from your still crouched state, Kars had moved a few steps over causing his shadow to block your sensitive skin from the light.
Perhaps it wasn't intentional, but you were kind of touched by the action all the same. Here was the ultimate being, who you knew to be your enemy, shielding you from the sun. You looked back on your previous encounters with Kars. Perhaps he actually did care for you. But even if he did, he had a rather odd way of showing it.
Your were pulled out your thoughts by Kars' deep laughter. Speedwagon was truly frightened by the sudden change in events, "This is a disaster! It can't be! We're doomed!"
Kars continued with his cackling before speaking for the first time since his ascension, "The ultimate being combined the abilities of all life forms, connecting all life into one. But this.. It's magnificent! Such radiance! It's more exquisite than anything I've ever witnessed. Finally the sun! I have finally conquered the sun!" He laughed once more as he opened his eyes and his red orbs seemed to pierce deeply into your soul.
Speedwagon had a shaking hand outstretched in front of him, "H-He's invincible! He has no weaknesses! Hamon will be useless against him! He's immortal! He's unstoppable! No one will ever be able to defeat him! He is the perfect weapon! Kars, The ultimate being, is alive!" Kars had his tongue sticking out slightly as he looked down on the people watching him.
Stroheim's gaze fell to his hands, "Th-This is all my fault. I allowed him to put on the mask with the Red Stone."
You gave a sympathizing look to the German who was beating himself over something he didn't really have control over. He couldn't have known the Pillar Man was carrying a stone mask somewhere on his person.
Smokey's gaze remained on Kars, "Is... Is there a way to stop him? Are we really destined to become nothing more then his sustenance?"
Joseph responded, "No, I have a plan."
Everyone turned their heads towards the Joestar. Speedwagon spoke up, "What was that, JoJo?"
Joseph walked over to you and pulled you up to your feet from your crouched position. "I have one last plan."
Stroheim still wasn't sure if he had heard correctly, "A final plan?"
"Yeah, I've got one last trick up my sleeve."
You're eyes widened, now understanding what exactly he wanted to do. "Do you perhaps mean that technique?"
Joseph nodded seriously as he looked to the others around him, "Listen up! Do it till you can't breathe!"
"Till I can't breathe? What do you mean?" Questioned Stroheim.
You rose an eyebrow while pointing to yourself, "Even me?"
Joseph nodded again, "Of course, especially you. Just follow my lead, okay?"
You let out a sigh while massaging the bridge if your nose, "Okay, got it." You began to stretch your limbs a bit as you waited for the sure sign of taking off.
Joseph chuckled a bit before snatching the Red Stone that had fallen to the ground and began sprinting away, "Run for it!" You let out one last sigh before chasing after him.