MHGA Chapter 146 – Back-Scratching the Shah Dalamadur! Joseph's Thorns
"So high up!!"
Kairo Retsu roared against the pull of gravity. "Joseph! How's it feel?!"
"This is my first time jumping from a height like this!!"
"Hah! This is my second time!" Joseph shouted back. "You know this, Guildmaster—I crash-landed a plane as a kid!"
The howling wind between them forced both to shout in order to hear each other.
Under the pull of gravity, they were closing in fast on the gaping jaws of the Shah Dalamadur.
They could even feel the intense heat radiating from the beast itself.
At that moment, both of them gripped their weapons tightly.
"Demon Mode!!!"
Joseph, wielding Dual Blades, ignited in a red aura—his stamina rapidly draining as he activated Demon Mode upon drawing his blades.
"I'll leave the back to you, Joseph!"
Kairo laughed loudly, gripping his Insect Glaive and giving a quick pat to the Kinsect on his arm.
"Likewise!"
Joseph grinned. By now, they had entered the Shah Dalamadur's attack range.
Driven by extreme hunger, the demon did not hesitate—using the Shah Dalamadur's great maw, it prepared to swallow them both whole.
But just before impact, Joseph suddenly unfurled his Glider Mantle, shifting slightly out of the line of fire and beginning to spin.
Meanwhile, Kairo thrust his Insect Glaive directly downward—aiming for the monster's massive mouth—his body accelerating rapidly.
"Midair Spinning Blade Dance!"
Joseph, now spinning midair, made contact with the massive head.
Kairo's Kinsect separated from him momentarily and shot downward, perfectly aligned with his dive.
"Vault Thrust!!"
"Dear Mr. Demon! Your Exterior Scrub and Interior Pierce Combo has arrived!!!!"
Kairo bellowed with a savage grin as he and his glaive stabbed downward—piercing into the Shah Dalamadur's throat.
Joseph, his midair spin having landed him atop the beast's skull, began to descend along its body—shredding it as he went.
Each spinning slash from his Dual Blades burrowed deep into the Shah Dalamadur's back, cutting open the spine's flesh. The blades' impacts against its scales flared with dazzling sparks.
The arcs of his Dual Blades formed a radiant spiral—carving a glowing trail from the head downward.
"Dual Blades Spinning—Ripple Overdrive!!!!"
The dual regenerative forces of the Pillar Man and the Demon Set gave Joseph a massive pool of stamina, and he spared none of it. With each spinning slash that scrubbed the monster's back, lightning-like Ripples intensified the blade rotation, elevating their power to another level.
Ripple energy, channeled fully through his monster-forged Dual Blades, penetrated into the Shah Dalamadur's body at near-total efficiency.
Meanwhile, deep inside the beast, Kairo's downward thrust tore through its organs.
Kairo had specifically baited the Shah Dalamadur into this angle—so his piercing attack could run straight through its body.
The dual assault from inside and out overwhelmed even the demon's control over the Shah Dalamadur's instincts.
The agony made the beast thrash uncontrollably.
And on the ground, everyone witnessed a scene straight from myth.
A world-devouring serpent raised its head to the heavens.
But from the serpent's back, Joseph streaked downward in a storm of flashing blades, capturing every gaze on the battlefield.
A figure descending like a shooting star, trailing divine light.
Clinging to a beast beyond human strength—and delivering devastating damage to it.
"…Finally feels like something out of a hero's tale."
Kabru murmured, eyes on the sky.
If only the Hunters had arrived like this from the start—so much chaos could have been avoided.
If… when his homeland was destroyed, Hunters like these had shown up…
"Kabru-san."
Beside him, Tanjiro responded to the whispered comment. "Guildmaster Kairo and the others… to me, they've always been heroes."
"Because it's thanks to them that so many people have escaped what would've been hopeless fates, and gained the chance at happiness they never could've reached otherwise."
Tanjiro smiled gently. "Ever since they saved many of my companions—I've always believed that."
"…Is that so."
Kabru slapped his cheeks hard and pulled himself together. "Then we've got to do our job too!!"
At that same moment, Joseph felt the onset of near-collapse.
Demon Mode and Ripple both drained him rapidly.
That 2,200-meter descent tested him to the absolute limit.
The Pillar Man and Demon Set only healed his physical injuries and replenished stamina.
But the pain of overexertion, the shock of the backlash, and the sheer physical toll all weighed heavily on Joseph's mental state.
He'd never undergone such training before—and now he was feeling it. Deeply. The creeping urge to give up even started to surface.
That was when Joseph realized something was wrong.
His inner desires were surging.
The craving to give up… was growing stronger.
Even now—the demon's influence was still trying to reach him.
"Not a chance!!"
Joseph bit his lip, snapping himself awake. "I'll never accept that kind of fate!"
"I still don't know what exactly is going to happen—Guildmaster keeps hiding the future from me! But I've already decided: I will change it!"
"Because I'm a man who carries the blood of the Joestar family… Joseph Joestar!!!"
"One more time!!"
Joseph took a deep breath—and with what little strength he had left, unleashed Ripple once again: "Dual Blades—Ripple Overdrive!!!!!!!"
A blinding light erupted. The Ripple coursed through him again, pushing Joseph's body and soul to new heights—and unleashing even more devastating destruction upon the Shah Dalamadur.
And just then… something began to grow on Joseph's body.
At first, it was only a tiny sprout.
But under the influence of the Ripple, that purple sprout grew rapidly—twisting and extending into jagged, violet thorns.
The thorns coiled tightly around Joseph's Dual Blades.
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