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Chapter 135. Exile to Space
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It's unfortunate, but it's like when you're looking for something and can't find it no matter how hard you try.
Yet, when you stop searching, it suddenly appears in some corner. The same goes for Jolyne Cujoh's prayers right now.
Even Jolyne, who considers herself an "enemy," can't help but be moved by the storyline. So what about everyone else?
They are completely swept along by the plot of "Battle Tendency," their hearts pounding in sync with the pulsating, sun-like ripple in Kars' hand as he brings it down upon Joseph.
And then...
"Super Aja."
"Why is JOJO raising the Red Stone in front of Kars?"
As the scene plays in slow motion, the narrator of "Battle Tendency" begins to pose this question. Even though it's odd for such a critical moment to insert a line unrelated to the plot—especially one not spoken by any of the main characters like Joseph—it's actually a use of cinematic language.
They say: "What bends breaks easily; balance strength with softness." The same applies to film. Human senses have a threshold. If you keep bombarding the audience with intense and exciting visuals, their threshold will rise. Later, even more thrilling scenes might fail to elicit a reaction.
So, to elevate the intensity of the upcoming scenes, a turning point is necessary. This is a strategy used in many Hollywood films, like in "The Avengers," where after capturing the villain Loki, the heroes seem poised for victory.
But then it turns out that everything was part of Loki's plan, leading to conflict among the heroes, with even sacrifices and deaths. Only after these setbacks does the final battle begin.
"Battle Tendency" does something similar. It inserts a narration to lower the threshold, allowing excited viewers to cool down a bit and ponder—why is Joseph doing this? Will it really defeat Kars?
Previously, the answer would have been obvious: with the Super Aja in front of him, Kars wouldn't dare to act. It was the only means for the Pillar Men to evolve into ultimate beings. Even if there was another Super Aja in the world, it had taken them thousands of years to find this one. Would they spend another millennia searching for a second?
But now, with Kars having already evolved into the Ultimate Being, and being the last surviving Pillar Man, does he still need the Super Aja?
No.
Kars' actions make this clear. So why does Joseph...
"JOJO himself doesn't know. It's an unconscious act. The Red Stone seemed to be drawn to the ripple, moving on its own!"
"But JOJO's body knew! His body, striving to survive, raised the Red Stone! JOJO propelled his instincts!!"
"The Red Stone is a ripple amplifier!!!"
As the narrator's voice grows more intense, viewers, now understanding what's happening, are struck with a sense of awe, witnessing this overwhelming power.
"And just now, the ripple turned into volcanic energy, reaching its peak!!"
BOOM!!
"JOJO and Kars... have been launched into the sky along with the volcanic rock!!"
Yes, this is Joseph's final victory plan! The immense life energy accumulated over thousands of years. With the invincible body of the Ultimate Being, even Kars' newly learned ripple power rivals the sun itself. Just mere contact would burn and melt human flesh! Once amplified by the Super Aja thousands of times and transmitted into a volcano, what could happen?
A never-before-seen explosion! An explosion powerful enough to exile the Ultimate Being into the vastness of space is about to occur on this planet!
...
Josuke Higashikata, who was forced by his mother to watch "Battle Tendency," still maintains an uninterested expression as he sees this scene. He's annoyed by his mother's fangirl-like behavior, cheering for Joseph. But he has to admit, Joseph Joestar, this man, does have a certain charm.
At least if it were him, he wouldn't be confident enough to resist Kars in that situation and come up with a plan that involves launching Kars into space rather than using lava or the deep sea to defeat him.
But...
"Do you really think a mere volcanic eruption could defeat me, Kars!?"
Even though the rising air currents and the force pushing the volcanic rock toward escape velocity are nearly crushing his body, just like the immobilized Joseph, this level of pressure is unbearable for a human.
But for the Ultimate Being...
"Watch me transform into a bird and escape!"
Kars stands up and laughs.
The one who will be sent into space is only Joseph!
"Farewell, JOJO...!?"
See? Just as expected. With the power of all living creatures, Kars can simply transform into a deep-sea creature with a body built to withstand the pressure, or grow wings to escape safely from this high altitude.
Koichi Hirose's words had given Josuke a bit of knowledge about this aspect. As he sees this predictable scene, he thinks, "Maybe now my mom will come to her senses after seeing this absurd plot twist in 'Battle Tendency.'"
And then...
"Kars! Next, you'll say—'Did you plan this too, JOJO!?'"
"Did you plan this too...!?"