Ryosuke was stunned.
Even the Saint couldn't determine Kaguya's course of action. Just how mysterious and powerful was this woman?
Seeing Ryosuke's expression, the Saint knew he had misunderstood. He wanted to explain, but then felt it wasn't necessary, so he shook his head slightly and said, "In short, she is different from every Otsutsuki you've met."
"If you revive her, things might become better, or they might become worse."
"In the probabilities I've calculated… good and bad are each fifty percent."
"I understand," Ryosuke said.
It was still two paths.
One was flat, but soaked in blood.
The other was shrouded in fog, with no clear road ahead.
"The third question."
Ryosuke asked, "What is the method to revive Kaguya?"
The Saint slowly raised his hand and pointed at Funny Valentine, frozen in midair. "You already have the answer in your heart, don't you?"
Ryosuke nodded.
He was just confirming it one last time with the Saint, in case anything went wrong.
With a powerful enemy right in front of him, Ryosuke would choose to consume a critically important Ascension Star Core to upgrade the Golden Spin to Lesson 5, rather than draw a new six-star Stand.
On one hand, he truly coveted the power of the Spin of the Cavalry.
On the other hand, it was also to use D4C's ability to verify a certain hypothesis.
With the three questions finished, it was time to test that hypothesis.
More cracks spread. The gray-white, time-stopped world was about to collapse. The Saint walked over.
"You asked me three questions. Let me ask you one."
"After descending into the ninja world, are you happy?"
Ryosuke lowered his head, recalling all the gains and losses, the farewells along the way. In the end, the images in his memory froze on the smiling faces of his companions.
"Of course."
Ryosuke raised his head and smiled.
The Saint extended his hand to Ryosuke. Ryosuke took it, and the two clasped hands firmly, silently conveying the belief they both held fast to.
"Take care."
"Thank you."
The time-stopped space shattered completely.
It was as if nothing had ever happened. Only the smile on Ryosuke's face grew ever brighter.
"What is he laughing at?!"
Funny Valentine, who had been knocked flying, saw Ryosuke's smile and felt his scalp go numb. In the corner of his vision, a shadow swept in. He swung his arm violently toward it.
Bang!
Valentine's punch landed on his own leg.
'His leg?'
'Why did he hit his leg?'
He looked down, and saw that his body had taken on a bizarre "folded" shape.
This "folding" came with no pain at all, as if his body had always been this deformed.
But Funny Valentine, who often traveled through space using D4C, immediately sensed that this wasn't because Ryosuke had broken his body, it was space itself.
The small portion of space containing him was folding.
Unlike Gyro's energy-type infinite decay, or Johnny's soul-type infinite pursuit that crossed world barriers, the ability of Ryosuke's Spin of the Cavalry was "space-type, infinite folding."
As long as the target was hit by the steel ball, it would be folded again and again until it completely disappeared.
Of course, if the target's physical body was too powerful, like Otsutsuki Isshiki, who himself possessed the ability to open spatial passages, Ryosuke couldn't infinitely fold him.
And each instance of spatial folding would produce a massive amount of energy. When the folding reached its limit, Ryosuke could unleash it all at once, detonating that energy and causing an enormous energy impact.
Two methods of application, for dealing with two different kinds of enemies.
As for someone like Funny Valentine, with a mere mortal body…
BOOM!
When Valentine slammed heavily into the ground, he had already been folded four times. All that remained was half a face. He felt no pain at all; the only sensations left were strangeness and fear.
Anyone whose dick, ass, and mouth had been squeezed together would feel the same way.
"Ryosuke! I admit it, you're the final winner!"
Funny Valentine shouted. As he opened his mouth, something unpleasant was forced inside. He didn't have the luxury to care and continued, "Let's make a deal."
"Your Hot Pants is about to die. As long as you release the Spin on me..."
"She won't die," Ryosuke said.
"What?"
Funny Valentine looked over.
The two Hot Pants who each had only half their bodies left had already moved far apart. Each of them had a stone ball slowly rotating on her body, barely sustaining their remaining life and giving them enough time to use Cream Starter.
Ryosuke had never had the habit of abandoning his teammates.
Back when Hot Pants flung Ryosuke away, as Ryosuke unleashed the Spin of the Cavalry, his other hand flicked out two ordinary Spins, forcibly separating the two of them.
Seeing his last bargaining chip disappear, despair rose in Valentine's heart. Just as he was waiting hopelessly for death, Ryosuke spoke again.
"However, I will make a deal with you."
In Ryosuke's palm, a steel ball spinning in reverse was placed against Valentine's face, temporarily halting the "folding" process.
Ryosuke sat cross-legged. Like picking up a bookmark, he pinched the half of Valentine's remaining face and lifted it in front of his eyes, speaking softly, "But the terms of the deal are set by me."
Valentine swallowed. The bearing and presence this man displayed actually surpassed that of him, the sitting President of the United States.
"You… what do you want?"
"Something very simple for you," Ryosuke said. "D4C can travel through countless parallel worlds. I want you to find one person for me among those parallel worlds and bring him before me. I'll let you go."
Gyro, who was supporting Johnny as he came over, hurriedly warned him.
"You can't, Ryosuke. Once he enters a parallel world, he can eliminate the effects of the Spin by switching bodies."
Ryosuke nodded. "I know. Don't worry, he won't escape."
As he spoke, he reached out and tapped Valentine's eyeball.
With a whoosh, Valentine's body stretched back out. The folded space returned to a human form, followed by faint cracking sounds.
Valentine clutched his eye and let out a scream.
The eyeball Ryosuke had just touched was spinning at an extremely high speed.
Ryosuke had extracted the power of the Spin of the Cavalry and condensed it into that eye.
"A Stand is the manifestation of a person's spiritual energy. When someone loses their Stand, their mind, will, and body all change."
"Do you know bombs that use mercury as a trigger? The slightest change can set them off."
Valentine met Ryosuke's gaze and unconsciously swallowed.
Ryosuke gently tapped the spinning eyeball.
"It's even more sensitive than a mercury bomb. As soon as you transfer D4C, it will undergo spatial folding and instantly detonate. The power will be enough to kill both you and your parallel self."
"So…"
"Since we're in America, this country where capital reigns supreme, let's act like businessmen."
"I promise you, so long as you bring back 'that person,' no one will be allowed to kill you today."
Funny Valentine stared blankly at Ryosuke.
"Really?"
"As long as I find 'that person,' you'll protect me, and no one can kill me?"
Johnny and Gyro nearby were about to speak, but Ryosuke raised his hand and said seriously, "I give you my word."
Valentine took a deep breath.
"Fine. Tell me his name."
Ryosuke said, "Axl."
"Stand name: Civil War."