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Chapter 87. The Weak
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It could be said that Akiyuki Shinbo, unknowingly, had silently labeled those who chose to study biology as "anti-human" because of Santana's performance.
He also made a mental note that when he needs to find actors who can play anti-human roles in the future, he should remember to look for people who studied biology.
For the audience who was still unclear about Santana's professional background, their concerns had taken on a different form—
Ripple, which is specifically effective against vampires, was ineffective against the Pillar Men!?
Indeed, no one would miss this.
The golden light, which was as swift as lightning, released from Joseph's hands, was the brilliance of Ripple!
From the moment Joseph started interacting with Santana, he had been using Ripple throughout his body to test Santana.
But the more he tested, the more horrifying the results became!?
Why, when Ripple warriors are usually much weaker compared to vampires, like a baby facing an adult, could Ripple warriors still have the ability to defeat vampires?
It's simple. The Ripple warrior is like a baby holding a handgun.
A handgun with no recoil, capable of continuous firing without reloading, and not harming itself, specifically targeting vampires, the adult!
As long as it hits, no matter how strong the adult's physical condition compared to the baby, it will be knocked down by a single shot!
But now, this handgun, which was invincible in the hands of Ripple warriors, suddenly seems to be out of bullets?!
In this situation, facing not just any adult but a Pillar Man as muscular as Tyson, what could be the consequence?
Joseph's body flying backward seemed to cruelly narrate it.
Immortality, agelessness, and even immunity to Ripple!
How do you fight such an enemy!?
They never expected that the Pillar Men, as replacements for vampires, would have even greater advantages than vampires.
It's not about their ability to create the Stone Masks that produce vampires; those were created by them.
Nor is it about their physical condition, which far exceeds that of vampires.
And it's not even about their ability to casually devour vampires and treat them as food.
Rather, it's that they are completely unafraid of Ripple!
The only ability humans have to resist them—Ripple—has no effect on them!?
"No! It does have an effect!"
"Ripple is providing a defensive effect!"
Just as Joseph gritted his teeth in frustration, the viewers were also thrown into confusion by this fact, reminiscent of Jonathan from "Phantom Blood" who had to face the vampire DIO alone before he learned Ripple, feeling panic and disarray.
Wrapped in bandages like a mummy, Speedwagon still calmly and excitedly explained, "So that's why JOJO wasn't consumed by that terrifying body!"
Just as water can extinguish fire, and fire can evaporate water, the difference lies only in whether the water exceeds the fire or the fire burns more fiercely.
The relationship between Ripple and the Pillar Men is similar.
Ripple seems to have no impact on the Pillar Men.
Joseph's current Ripple, for the Pillar Men, is almost like a mere tickle; naturally, it cannot dissolve the Pillar Men's bodies with Ripple's solar energy.
It can only use the repulsive force between Ripple and the Pillar Men to ensure that Joseph doesn't end up consumed entirely by Santana, like the last vampire or those unfortunate German soldiers.
But...
"Like the Vaporization Freezing Technique of vampires, Santana can freely manipulate his body, extending ribs to become traps, turning all muscles into slime to move and reshape, dissolving any organisms they touch."
"Even if Joseph could break through Santana's defense with the amount of Ripple, what would it matter?"
"As long as, like DIO, he lowers his body temperature to freeze Joseph into an ice block for daring to touch him?"
"And there's still the Space Ripper Stingy Eyes…"
Ripple against the Pillar Men isn't ineffective, is it?
Does this give the audience hope?
No!
Rather, after seeing that Ripple is completely ineffective, or very difficult to affect Santana, they have never before hoped so much for Santana to make a mistake.
Although the principles behind Vaporization Freezing and Space Ripper Stingy Eyes are simple, for vampires and Pillar Men who can master all their cells, these are easy tricks once the methods are known.
But humans, after observing apples fall from trees for centuries, only discovered the law of universal gravitation with Newton's emergence.
The Vaporization Freezing Technique involving the second law of thermodynamics and Space Ripper Stingy Eyes involving hydraulics and pressure, as well as the development of these skills targeting Ripple warriors, were all developed by DIO after sensing the threat from Ripple.
Thus, Pillar Men, who have neither studied nor witnessed DIO and Straizo's skills up close, and who cannot sense a threat from Ripple, probably don't know how to effectively use their bodies to develop these skills targeting Ripple warriors.
"...Huh?!"
Sora suddenly thought of something and looked uncertainly at the screen showing Joseph in "Battle Tendency", still performing various futile actions.
Joseph was stabbing with a knife, poking eyes... trying to break through the Pillar Men's solid bodies and inject Ripple into Santana's body.
All his actions had no meaning under the Pillar Men's passive defense, which could change like rubber, including their eyes.
Yet, Santana hadn't used the Vaporization Freezing Technique?
Nor had he used Space Ripper Stingy Eyes!?
Is this a case where the protagonist, faced with an undefeatable foe, can only use the protagonist's halo to make the foe act foolishly?
No, not at all!
Although it appears so on the surface, if Santana had really used the Vaporization Freezing Technique and Space Ripper Stingy Eyes, it would have been truly incomprehensible.
The reason is simple.
This was also something Sora thought of suddenly after seeing this.
Why does Santana give the audience the impression of disdainful indifference, as if humans were mere insects?
Is it to emphasize the transcendent status of Pillar Men, who feed on vampires, while vampires feed on humans?
That is part of the reason.
But the more important factor is that Pillar Men simply do not regard humans or Ripple warriors as anything of significance!
How could they possibly, like DIO and Straizo, specifically learn skills targeting Ripple warriors?!
"Shiro, remember well—"
Looking at the powerful Santana, who arrogantly believed that the weak Joseph in his eyes was defeated and ready to be consumed,
Sora could already foresee his outcome.
"Weakness and ignorance are never barriers to survival; arrogance is."
"We are the weak ones, now and in the past, and it is as weak ones that we can defeat the strong."
"The premise of [ ] never being defeated is that we clearly know we are weak and always approach every challenge as the weak."
As Sora's words fell,
Santana's body was broken into two segments under Joseph's cleverly designed trap...