As those words fell, a pair of crimson eyes flashed in the darkness like a demon's gaze, moving from afar to near until they finally appeared before Yang Yun and the others.
"Good grief, what is that monster!"
Upon seeing the creature's full form clearly, Robert E.O. Speedwagon cried out in shock.
Nearby, Zeppeli, Jonathan, and Speedwagon all frowned in astonishment.
For the entity before them looked nothing like a human being, but rather a monster trapped in a human-like shell.
Not only stood the monster at a towering three meters tall, but it also wore a heavy set of medieval knight's armor.
From both upper arms and the rear of its legs, curved, bone-spiked blades caked in ancient, rotting flesh burst straight through the plating of the armor.
With every step it took, a heavy thud echoed, kicking up a foul-smelling gust of putrid wind.
Amidst its heavy and powerful breathing, a massive cavalry lance dragged along the ground, showering sparks everywhere!
"What the hell is this damn thing?!"
The moment he laid eyes on the monster, Yang Yun let out a gasp of astonishment. This thing wasn't even mentioned in the original story.
Even if it genuinely existed, just where on earth had Dio found the body of such a monster to mutate?
"By order of Lord Dio, I am here to execute you!"
Under the astonished gazes of the group, the monster finally halted some six or seven meters in front of Yang Yun, raising the tip of its lance to point it disdainfully at him.
Hearing that the nameless monster before him intended to kill him, Yang Yun dared not take it lightly, focusing all his concentration as he stood ready for battle.
Yet before he could make a move, Jack the Ripper beside the monster roared in extreme dissatisfaction.
"Who the hell do you think you are?! This prey is clearly mine, get lost and stay out of my way!"
Jack the Ripper shouted defiantly, pointing his short blade at the monster while brandishing it in a pretentious threat.
In his past life, the legend of Jack the Ripper had shaken the entire mystery-solving world, said to be one of the most famous unsolved cases in history.
The culprit had repeatedly taunted the law enforcement of the time, yet no one ever managed to catch him, and nobody even knew what he actually looked like.
Yet now, not only did he seem completely devoid of intelligence, but he was also utterly stupid, lacking a single ounce of situational awareness.
"Do they really lose their intelligence after turning into Zombies?"
At this thought, Yang Yun muttered to himself.
On the other side, as if to confirm his thoughts, the moment the thought crossed his mind, the monster raised its cavalry lance and swung it fiercely.
Jack the Ripper had no time to react whatsoever. In the blink of an eye, he was sent flying on the spot, slamming heavily into the wall at the side.
When the dust and rubble cleared, Jack the Ripper was completely unrecognizable, smashed to pieces and embedded so deeply into the wall that he couldn't even be pried out.
"Annoying!"
The monster's deep voice seemed to echo from the abyss of the underworld, sounding exceptionally chilling.
Having finished this, the monster swung its cavalry lance once more, charging straight toward Yang Yun's head.
"Whoosh!"
Seeing the heavy and powerful cavalry lance closing in right before his eyes, Star Platinum immediately threw a punch, kicking up a fierce gale of wind.
As the two mighty forces collided, a tremendous roar echoed endlessly through the tunnel, reverberating back and forth.
Jonathan and the others couldn't see very clearly in the dark, and thus felt somewhat anxious.
Yet Yang Yun could see everything crystal clear, and the solemn look on his face once again gave way to a relaxed, natural smile!
As expected!
He had still underestimated himself, and underestimated this Stand of his!
Even though it was just a blank slate, its 6A stats alone were more than enough to breeze right through all six parts of JoJo.
Aside from D4C - Love Train and Wonder of U, even if Kars the Ultimate Life Form himself showed up, he'd still have to think twice.
To think he was actually afraid of such a freakish monstrosity—he really had been worrying over nothing!
Inside the tunnel at that moment, the monster wore a look of utter disbelief.
It stared in painful bewilderment at the split, bleeding webbing of its own hand and the cavalry lance that had fallen to the ground, utterly failing to comprehend what had just happened.
Jonathan watched the scene unfold before him with a mixture of incomprehension and astonishment, right up until his eyes fell upon the spear lying on the ground.
Only then did he stand dumbfounded, unable to utter a single word for a long time.
At that moment, right near the tip of the cavalry lance, a basin-sized fist imprint was blatantly gouged into the metal.
Spreading outward from beneath the fist imprint were spiderweb-like cracks resembling bolts of lightning.
Had the entire spear not been forged from exceptionally sturdy material, it probably would have shattered into a pile of scrap metal long ago.
"You... what kind of monster are you!"
Dozens of seconds later, as its wounds regenerated, the heavily armored monster stared blankly at Yang Yun and spoke.
"I'm no monster, I'm just un—"
Before the word "invincible" could leave his lips, Yang Yun instantly realized what he was saying and snapped his mouth shut.
In any other anime he might have gotten away with saying that, but in the JoJo universe, calling oneself invincible was practically asking for death.
"I'm no monster, I'm just a little strong!"
Yang Yun smiled slightly and spoke again, prompting Star Platinum to strike once more.
This time there were no reservations, no worries—only an all-out explosion of absolute power!
"Ora, ora, ora, ora..."
In the darkness, the heavily armored monster tried to step back, but a direct, brutal blow struck him square in the face, denting his helmet inward and leaving him thoroughly dizzy.
Before he even had a chance to react, a relentless storm of invisible, terrifying blows rained down upon him like falling drops of rain.
In the span of just a few breaths, the monster's heavy armor was forcefully dismantled right down to nothing, revealing its true appearance to the world for the very first time.
The moment he laid eyes on the monster's true form, Yang Yun involuntarily took a step back.
It certainly looked fierce, but damn it, it was truly ugly!
It looked just like a piece of hemp rope dangling over a medieval outhouse, rubbed down by every single person after they finished doing their business.
"Let's finish you off with one final punch!"
"Star Platinum: Overdrive!"
A radiance as brilliant as the divine glory of the blazing sun instantly erupted across Star Platinum's physique.
For a moment, that already magnificent and muscular frame, grand as a river of stars, grew even more akin to a supreme deity.
An overwhelming aura soared to the heavens, unmatched in might!
A heavy, devastating punch shattered the layers of sound barrier in the air, roaring with the thunderous impact of a cannonball.
In an instant, a pitiful shriek pierced the silence like a nightbird crying out in the gloom!
The three-meter-tall body disintegrated on the spot, melting away rapidly like ice cream beneath the blazing sun.
The Zombie's ashes gradually vanished into the tunnel, and Zeppeli and the others finally recovered from their daze.
"JoJo, were you afraid just now?" Zeppeli suddenly asked.
"A little. This is the first time I've faced them in person!" Jonathan answered honestly.
"Then do you know about fleas? Such an utterly insignificant insect!"
Hearing Zeppeli's seemingly unrelated answer, Jonathan was filled with confusion.
Yet before he could voice his question, Zeppeli continued: "Insignificant though fleas may be, they will always unhesitatingly challenge creatures vastly larger than themselves."
"Can that be called courage?"
"If this isn't courage, then what is?!"
As he spoke, Zeppeli extended a finger imbued with Ripple energy and pierced the bottom of a red wine bottle.
After pouring himself a glass of red wine, he handed it to Jonathan.
Then Zeppeli pointed toward the spot where Jack the Ripper had been, his demeanor shifting palpably as he spoke again.
"The Zombie from earlier has fled, but he will never leave this place."
"So, JoJo, this is your final trial!"
"The Viking warrior braving the freezing gale—if you spill even a single drop of red wine, I will abandon you."
"Hey, old man, are you serious?"
"Not spilling any wine under these conditions, is that even something a human being can do?"
Hearing Zeppeli's words, Speedwagon nearby was completely baffled.
Yet at that moment, Yang Yun was burning with excitement; the iconic scene that spanned the entire JoJo series was finally about to unfold.
"Ripple breathing is the product of courage!"
"Though fear may disturb your breathing and disrupt your rhythm, once you master it, you will never experience a shred of chaos again!"
"True courage is understanding fear and mastering it!"
"The anthem of humanity is the anthem of courage, the greatness of humanity is the greatness of courage!"
As the final word fell, Jonathan's gaze grew increasingly resolute and earnest.
Holding the red wine steady, he followed the trail by relying on his own perception and diffusion of the Ripple.
Not long afterward, the others waiting behind heard the death shriek of a Zombie echo out.
Jonathan officially completed his personal metamorphosis right then and there, and the party finally stepped forth into the ultimate battlefield:
Windknight's Lot!