Chapter 114: A Widow in Her Thirties

It is hard to say who is truly in danger.

Wulfgas swung its thick, whip-like leg, but Gamu, channeling the power of Ripple, caught the limb and threw the creature onto the ground with a backhand motion!

A loud thud echoed across the area.

"Awoo!" Wulfgas let out a pained cry.

Kajio stood there, completely stunned. Kitada and Otawara shared his expression, staring at Gamu with their mouths slightly agape.

Holy crab, how could someone with Gamu’s build possess such strength?

As Wulfgas struggled to rise, Gamu stepped forward, grabbed its arm, and slammed it down once more! Having transformed into Gaia several times, Gamu had naturally picked up some combat techniques. Combined with the power of the Ripple, he could now hold his own against most human-sized aliens.

"Awoooo." Wulfgas curled up on the ground, clutching its head, finally beaten into submission.

Kajio, shaking off his shock, saw that Wulfgas had been subdued. He snatched the Cheeket gun from Otawara and, closing in on the creature, pulled the trigger to fire a laser beam. At such close range, the tranquilizer dart found its mark. Wulfgas shuddered once before collapsing into a deep sleep.

"Let’s see you dodge that now," Kajio said, holstering his weapon with satisfaction. He turned to Gamu and asked, "How did you suddenly become so strong?"

"This..." Gamu’s eyes flickered as he quickly scrambled for an excuse, eventually pinning it on Jojo. "I learned Qigong from Jojo!"

"Qigong?" Kajio looked puzzled.

Gamu didn't intend to explain further, fearing he might slip up, so he quickly changed the subject. "Forget that. Let’s get Wulfgas back to the XIG base first!"

Since Jojo wasn't there, Gamu figured any explanation would suffice.

'I wonder what kind of monster a Space Beast is?'

Lost in thought, Gamu remained unaware that Jojo was watching everything. Jojo kept his gaze off Gamu and focused on Kajio and the others, ensuring he wouldn't be noticed. Jojo had already briefly explained the situation regarding the Space Beasts to both Fujimiya and Gamu. As for Gaia’s Earth, they didn't need to worry about ordinary enemies; the two of them could handle it.

***

Somewhere in a remote part of Shinjuku.

Speaking of which, this was near the site of the great battle from years ago. Looking down from here, one could see that the city had been rebuilt. It seemed as if the disaster had never happened, and the people no longer remembered that battle.

Jojo and Maki did not wait long before a black sedan drove up behind them and pulled to a stop. The door opened, and Sara Mizuhara stepped out, dressed in her black uniform. Her eyes scanned the two men, lingering primarily on Jojo.

She had seen the footage of that battle years ago and had immediately investigated Jojo’s background upon returning. After learning about him—how he had been involved with a female teacher in junior high and was always surrounded by different women thereafter—she felt a sense of contempt for him. It was baffling that a man of such questionable character possessed the power of an Ultraman.

"Jojo Joestar, according to records, you have been missing for several years since the Shinjuku incident."

Compared to a few years ago, Sara, though still unmarried, now possessed a mature, womanly charm. Her role as the TLT Chief Inspector only added to her commanding presence.

Jojo, however, paid no mind to this. He sensed the underlying hostility in her tone.

"Ho, ho, not very kawaii at all," he remarked, circling around her. "Come to think of it, you must be in your thirties now, right? No wonder there are wrinkles at the corners of your eyes."

"Is this why you asked me to come here?" Sara snapped, clearly sensitive about her age.

"Don't be so impatient," Jojo said, noting she was becoming flustered. "After all, your fiancé entrusted me with looking after you back then. Maki heard it too."

Sara froze at his words. Jojo continued, "Although I gave Takafumi Arido my word at the time, I’m starting to think I should reconsider."

"I have no interest in a scumbag like you!" Sara’s face darkened instantly.

Hearing this, Jojo realized where the problem lay. Having grown up on this Earth, it was inevitable that some campus rumors would persist.

"Rumors are destructive!" Jojo lamented, though he couldn't be bothered to explain himself to Sara. "Never mind, think what you want. Let’s talk about The One."

Seeing the look on his face, which didn't seem feigned, Sara felt a flicker of doubt. Could it be that the information she had gathered was all just rumors?

She set aside her prejudice for the time being. Since he had appeared, time would eventually reveal the truth. A person’s habits are not so easily hidden; their true nature always surfaces.

Upon hearing Jojo mention the Progenitor Space Beast, Maki asked with a puzzled expression, "The One? Isn't it dead?" Even though he had been relegated to the passenger seat during that encounter, he had witnessed the creature being destroyed by light.

"The One is not dead," Jojo said, looking down at the city. "The increasingly frequent appearances of Space Beasts are all rapidly evolving from The One’s cells. These are, in essence, its fragments. One day, The One will be resurrected, and it will take on a form unlike anything seen before." He looked at Sara. "Perhaps, Takafumi Arido will be resurrected along with it."

"Don't joke about that!" Sara clenched her fists, her eyes filled with sorrow. "He is dead. He is never coming back."

"That is not necessarily true," Jojo said, his tone cryptic. "Human emotion is a truly miraculous power. As long as you remember Takafumi Arido, that emotion will sustain his existence. Perhaps your fiancé has been by your side all along."

Jojo remembered the case of Mayumi very clearly. The humans on this Earth had been vaccinated with the Light Factor by that old shaman, making them similar to the humans of the Tiga world.

"You're lying to me, aren't you?" Sara found this difficult to comprehend. Could human emotion really achieve such a thing?

Jojo offered no further explanation. "This is your only chance to see Takafumi Arido. Believe it or not, that's up to you."

His nonchalant attitude actually left Sara half-believing him. Besides, this man didn't seem as terrible as the news reports claimed.

In truth, this was what one might call "taking advantage of a vulnerable moment." By bringing up her fiancé to stir her longing for Arido and then offering a glimmer of hope, he was effectively saying, *'Madam, you wouldn't want to miss your chance to see your fiancé, would you?'*

Of course, Jojo had no such ulterior motives; he was simply experienced in these matters and was merely using this to resolve Sara’s misunderstanding. Yes, that was exactly it.