[On Screen]
Having survived with his sister safe, Tanjiro felt a sliver of relief.
The pressure from Wamuu had been overwhelming, and even now, he could think of no way to counter him.
The gap in their strength was simply too vast; it was not something that could be bridged by resolve or anything else.
Moreover, judging from the man's words, he was clearly not a subordinate of Muzan Kibutsuji, but of someone named Kars.
I have to tell the Demon Slayer Corps about Wamuu and what happened here, before he kills more people!
This was the first thought that came to Tanjiro's mind after surviving. Even when his own life was in peril, this boy's first instinct was to worry about the safety of others.
However...
He touched his left chest. Although the ring was on his heart, Tanjiro could already feel that his life was no longer under his own control.
"The creator of the Hinokami Kagura?"
Where was he supposed to find such a person? Setting aside the fact that Tanjiro would never be willing to involve an innocent person, the Hinokami Kagura was a technique derived from the ritual dance his father used to perform.
His father had been dead for years now, to say nothing of the technique's originator. The inventor of this style had likely been dead so long that not even ashes remained.
But even if he could find the founder of the Hinokami Kagura, with Tanjiro's personality, he would never allow that person to face a terrifying opponent like Wamuu for his sake.
Wamuu knew the weaknesses of the Breathing Styles inside and out, and possessed terrifying physical strength and combat experience. With all these factors combined, even multiple Hashira attacking at once would likely be no match for him.
Therefore, Tanjiro touched his chest, feeling the beat of his heart, and muttered to himself:
"I have one month left, is that it?"
Knowing his time was limited, Tanjiro did not curse his fate. On the contrary, he was exceptionally calm.
If Wamuu were still here, he would surely praise his golden spirit and would likely pay even closer attention to Tanjiro's progress.
One month. It was enough time for Tanjiro to ensure his sister was settled and to say goodbye to all those who cared for him...
---o---
[Light Curtain Commentary]
Wamuu's appearance was a breath of fresh air for the audience. Compared to a purely evil villain like DIO, a character like Wamuu was far more palatable.
He possessed a warrior's honor and a code. Faced with three children who had yet to mature, he completely ignored them, no matter how much they provoked him or screamed about killing him.
Not only did he give Tanjiro and the others a chance to prove themselves, but he even spared their lives under the circumstances.
For this reason alone, Wamuu was a respectable warrior. He had more principles than a purely evil man like DIO and was more easily accepted by humanity.
Although Wamuu's allegiance meant he was destined to stand against mankind, he was undoubtedly an enemy worthy of respect.
[Joseph Joestar: "OH MY GOD! That ring brings back some bad memories!"]
In the Stardust Crusaders timeline, Joseph clutched his head and cried out. It was these detestable Pillar Men who had tricked him into committing bigamy all those years ago!
[Conan Edogawa: "Whew, at least he survived. As long as you're alive, there's still a chance."]
[Utaha Kasumigaoka: "The chances are just a little too slim. The creator of Sun Breathing is already dead. Wamuu completely overlooked that, focused only on getting a fight. Tanjiro, being unable to find the person... I'm afraid there won't even be a complete corpse left."]
[Shinobu Kocho: "Sun Breathing? What is that? I've never heard of such a Breathing Style. And Hamon... from the way Wamuu described it, is that also a type of breathing technique?"]
[Will Anthonio Zeppeli: "Incredible. These beings are clearly not vampires, and yet they annihilated the Hamon clan a thousand years ago. Their power... is simply terrifying."]
[Yukino Yukinoshita: "The figure that appeared in the flames... who was that? To make a Pillar Man sense his extraordinary strength through swordsmanship alone."]
[Muzan Kibutsuji: "Impossible... How is this possible?! After a hundred years, the Sun Breathing still has a successor!"]
In the Demon Slayer world, Muzan Kibutsuji's face went pale, the fear in his eyes a shade deeper than when he faced DIO through the screen.
After all, DIO had never actually fought him, let alone pushed him to the brink of death. But Yoriichi Tsugikuni was different... that was a fear etched into his very DNA, a memory Muzan Kibutsuji would never dare to forget for the rest of his life...
---o---
[On Screen]
The scene shifted. After the Hashira Meeting had concluded—
Both the nine Hashira and Jotaro Kujo, who had been listening in, had a premonition of what was to come.
"It's been unusually quiet these past few days. Both Muzan Kibutsuji and DIO are plotting something. The calm before the storm will soon be over. Nearly all the demons have been summoned by Muzan and are gathering near Asakusa..."
Kagaya Ubuyashiki's words echoed in Jotaro's mind, making him feel a sense of annoyance.
It wasn't directed at the Demon Slayer Corps, nor at any single person, but at the sheer difficulty of his current situation.
The information gap was too large. Though he didn't know what methods DIO was using, he was gradually adapting to this era.
Meanwhile, the connection between the star-shaped mark on Jotaro's shoulder and DIO was growing weaker and weaker, which was a clear sign that DIO was in good condition.
Although Jotaro's own power had been steadily increasing as he developed his Stand's abilities over the past few days, DIO's transformation was likely to be even more astounding.
"If only the old man were here," Jotaro sighed, thinking aloud.
An information-gathering Stand was simply too important. If Joseph were here, he could use Hermit Purple's spirit photography, and Jotaro wouldn't be stumbling around like a headless fly.
Thinking back, it was thanks to Hermit Purple's ability that the Stardust Crusaders knew DIO was in Egypt in the first place.
But now was clearly not the time to dwell on that. In Jotaro's view, both the demons and DIO had to be eliminated. Since a large number of demons were gathering near Asakusa, and it was highly likely DIO was there too, heading to that location was undoubtedly the right move.
However... the thought of the nine Hashira accompanying him into battle left Jotaro at a loss for words.
He had already said nearly everything he could. The difference between a Stand user and an ordinary human had been made crystal clear, yet these people were still fearless, determined to defeat DIO and that demon named Muzan.
According to the Hashira, there was a high probability they would encounter Muzan Kibutsuji in this battle—the ultimate target of the Demon Slayer Corps. Therefore... not a single one of them would pass up such an opportunity by choosing to flee.
---o---
[On Screen]
The scene shifted to another location.
The red-light district—a traditional gray area in Japan that had existed since ancient times.
And when it came to the most famous red-light district in the world of Demon Slayer, it was naturally Yoshiwara.
Though not as prosperous or developed as the neighboring Asakusa, as Japan's most famous pleasure district, its infrastructure and architecture already showed the faint beginnings of modern society.
A scene of flashing lights and indulgent nightlife appeared before the audience, making some of the more conservative viewers a bit uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the camera quickly moved to a man standing by a roadside stall who was at least 190 centimeters tall.
His attire was certainly bizarre, even for Yoshiwara. Combined with his height, he undoubtedly had a 100% head-turn rate on the street.
Another one... The audience outside the screen had gotten used to it. Including this mysterious man, a total of six people had now crossed over into the world of Demon Slayer.
In an instant, the audience knew he was not a native of this world.
After all... the star-shaped mark on the back of his shoulder, identical to Jotaro's and DIO's, was all the proof they needed of his identity.
"Hey, customer! If you're not going to buy anything, then don't just stand there! I've got a business to run!"
The stall owner's impatient voice rang out. He looked at the man with some disdain. It seemed those foreigners weren't as rich as the rumors claimed; this one couldn't even scrounge up a few hundred yen.
The man said nothing, simply staring blankly at the US dollars in his wallet.
The next moment, a small, raggedly dressed child who had been watching from the side took advantage of the man's distraction and snatched the wallet from his hand.
Foreigners usually carried valuable things; the boy knew this. Just the wallet itself felt like it was made of high-quality material, to say nothing of what was inside.
The sudden robbery caused the onlookers to gasp. The man, however, simply glanced unhurriedly in the direction the boy had fled and began to walk calmly after him.
The camera shifted. In an alley, the young thief was now surrounded by a group of bullies, who were demanding he hand over the wallet he stole from the foreigner.
These thugs, relying on their superior strength and the chaotic lawlessness of this gray area, began to punch and kick the boy.
Just then, a voice came from the entrance of the alley. "Hey! You guys! I gave the wallet in that kid's hand to him. Don't bully him!"
The man walked into the dark alley, took off the blue hat on his head, and smoothed down his messy hair, exuding an air of fearless nonchalance.
"Hah?" The bullies looked skeptical, then taunted him, "Hey, you say you gave him this wallet? Heh, how can you prove this wallet is yours?"
Perhaps due to some twisted mentality, and wanting to disgust the tall man before them, one of the bullies, still not realizing the danger he was in, picked his nose and pressed his booger-covered finger onto the man's left cheek, even rubbing it back and forth.
Disgusting! Truly disgusting!
The bully's actions thoroughly repulsed the audience. Some with weaker stomachs nearly threw up last night's dinner. They had no idea how the man on screen was enduring it.
Seeing the man's humiliating state, the bullies all burst out laughing, mocking his weakness.
"I don't get it..." the man's calm voice cut through their laughter, sounding strangely conspicuous. He continued, "I really don't understand. What is the point of doing this?"
His calm demeanor only angered the surrounding thugs more. They grabbed him by the collar and snarled, "Because it feels good, you damn foreigner!"
Realizing that reasoning with these thugs was pointless, the man, without another word, threw a punch straight into the bully's face, instantly causing his nose to bleed profusely.
Seeing this, the man's cronies immediately grabbed their weapons—clubs and sharp objects—and surrounded him.
But the man wasn't flustered. He even had the leisure to hold up a bottle of Coke that had appeared from nowhere and declared boldly:
"Bring it on! I bet I can knock you all down before you even manage to attack me. Believe it?"
Obviously, no one believed him. They exchanged glances and swung their weapons at the man's head, an attack clearly intended to be lethal.
The next moment, a faint light emanated from the man's body. The Coca-Cola bottle cap shot off uncontrollably with a spray of soda and flew toward one of the bullies' legs.
A sharp pain shot through him, and the thug collapsed to the ground. But the bottle cap didn't stop. It continued to spin and fly, circling the man at an impossible angle and knocking down every single thug who charged forward.
Seeing this, the young thief was terrified and tried to flee. However... the light flashed again, and accompanied by a purple shadow, a ripple of power latched onto the boy's ankle, tripping him.
Normally, the Hamon-infused bottle cap wouldn't have had the range to reach the fleeing thief, but a mysterious purple power seemed to give it a push, allowing it to wrap tightly around the boy's ankle.
Facing the fallen boy, the man smiled slightly and said, "Don't be in such a hurry to run, kid. My offer still stands. The money in this wallet is all yours. In return, you just need to answer a few questions for me."
Under the boy's terrified gaze, the man got all the information he wanted.
Japan, Yoshiwara, the Taisho Era. Although the boy, being from the bottom rungs of society, didn't know much more, this information was enough for the man to grasp his current situation.
"Who... Who are you?"
Perhaps sensing the man's unique charisma, the young thief mustered his courage and asked.
The man just smiled, leaning against the alley wall, and said coolly, "Joestar."
"Joseph Joestar!"
"And you can also call me... JOJO."
---o---
Author's Note:
PS: With this, all the characters have made their appearance. The big brawl will begin soon. Two JoJos plus two bosses.