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Chapter 158. Within Ten Steps, the Gun is Both Fast and Accurate
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Just as the audience had speculated.
The one who exposed himself in front of Polnareff, the [Hanged Man] did it on purpose!
It was a trap set to lure Polnareff away from Jotaro's group, isolating them to take them down one by one!
And Polnareff, perhaps he didn't see through it.
Or maybe he did, but his anger clouded his judgment.
In any case, he was now frantically searching for them throughout the city, just as they had planned!
For all the effort Polnareff was putting in…
Wouldn't it be rude of them not to give him a response?
And so…
"A gun is stronger than a sword!"
Fulfilling Polnareff's desire, a man dressed like a cowboy from the previous century walked up to him with a grin and said, "Uh-huh, that's a famous saying!"
"My name is Hol Horse. I possess the Emperor card as my Stand and was hired by Lord DIO to kill you all!"
"..."
The [Emperor]?
Not the [Hanged Man]?
Polnareff quickly glanced at Hol Horse's hands and noticed he didn't have two right hands like the man he was looking for.
Hol Horse had a normal pair of hands, which made Polnareff increasingly impatient.
"Hey, hick! I don't need your introduction. Just tell me if you know a man with two right hands!?"
"You're quite unreasonable, huh? But fine, I came with him. He's nearby."
Hol Horse leisurely lit a cigarette, watching Polnareff anxiously look around, while letting the fragrance of the cigarette refresh him, then he laughed, "But it doesn't matter because you're going to die by my hands, Hol Horse!"
"Just like in Stratego, where tanks beat soldiers, but they lose to mines. That's the rule of battle."
"My [Emperor] is stronger than your Stand, so I'll reveal my Stand's ability before we fight—guns are stronger than swords!"
"What the hell are you trying to say?"
Provoked for so long, Polnareff couldn't help but raise his eyebrows.
Hol Horse was an enemy.
He was a companion of the [Hanged Man], the one responsible for killing his sister.
If he could take down Hol Horse, the [Hanged Man] would have no choice but to reveal himself!
...Even though his rage was overwhelming his reason, as a Stand user, Polnareff calmly extracted the vital information from Hol Horse's words.
As for Hol Horse's desire to explain his Stand ability…
Stand users must hide their abilities, as surprises provide a strategic advantage.
This is basic knowledge for any Stand user.
Although Polnareff didn't know what Hol Horse was planning, considering how much information he had already gathered from his careless remarks, Polnareff was curious to hear what else Hol Horse might reveal.
"My Stand is a pistol. And a sword can't beat a gun!"
—[Emperor]!
A pistol, looking like a cheap plastic toy that could be bought for ten bucks at a convenience store, instantly appeared in Hol Horse's hand. He quickly aimed it at Polnareff.
"You're too overconfident, Polnareff! You're done for!"
Bang ————!!
The bullet shot out instantly!
Even though it looked like a plastic toy, it was still a genuine Stand!
A Stand that resembled a real gun!
At this range...
—[Silver Chariot]!!
The sudden shot didn't faze Polnareff.
It didn't even stop him from immediately summoning a silver knight clad in Western armor and wielding a rapier.
Is that all?
He was seriously underestimated!
As a master swordsman, able to slice through air with vacuum slashes, Polnareff awakened his Stand due to his incredible skill.
He had a clear understanding of the rivalry between guns and swords, cold weapons and firearms.
Beyond ten steps, the gun is faster.
It was true that Hol Horse had the distance advantage earlier, when Polnareff didn't know his capabilities.
However, that only applied to [Silver Chariot] in its normal state.
—If I remove the armor, I can easily deflect the bullets... W-what!?
"Heh heh."
Hol Horse grinned, capturing Polnareff's panicked expression in his gaze.
Because within ten steps, the gun is both accurate and fast!
And everything was going exactly according to plan.
They had already thoroughly studied [Silver Chariot]'s abilities.
They knew that once it removed its armor, it would gain increased speed. This information was included in the intel Hol Horse received.
That's why Hol Horse had repeatedly emphasized how guns were stronger than swords and that his Stand was a gun. It was all to provoke Polnareff and trigger his competitive spirit, making him try to prove that swords were superior to guns!
As expected, Polnareff fell into the trap.
He tried to prove it by using his Stand to slash the bullets!
Instead of using [Silver Chariot]'s armor to block the bullets…
Or realizing that the bullets, being part of Hol Horse's Stand, could be countered by targeting Hol Horse himself with the speed of his unarmored Stand—thus attacking the source and cutting off the bullets.
Stand users should never lose their calm.
"You really know how to ruin my plans at the worst time."
Just as Hol Horse was about to finish Polnareff off, Avdol came out of nowhere and saved him. Hol Horse muttered in frustration.
But…
Didn't I already tell you?
Everything is going exactly as we planned!
"—[Hanged Man]!!"
"!?"
"What the hell!? You're not…!?"
The first to react was the audience watching "Stardust Crusaders".
Because what they were witnessing…
Was a perfectly timed — no, a deliberately staged scenario where Avdol had just walked into a puddle created by the rain, right in front of Hol Horse.
He had been waiting for this moment.
Waiting for the [Hanged Man] hidden in the water, and his [Emperor], to deliver the final blow to Avdol, who was only focused on the [Emperor], unaware of the threat looming behind him.
"AVDOL!!"