You call this a projection?

Simple, direct. That was Jotaro Kujo’s way of speaking. He never played games with you.

But this kind of simple directness was another matter entirely for Joseph and the others.

”...Why do you think that Avdol and I are also haunted by what you call ’evil spirits’ just like you?

And why are you so certain that I know the reason you are haunted by an ’evil spirit’?”

As Joseph asked these questions, his eyes were fixed intently on Jotaro Kujo. He was absolutely certain: he had never told Holy Kujo anything regarding Stands (evil spirits). Even if Jotaro had awakened a Stand, Jotaro shouldn’t have known that Stands trigger and awaken in other blood relatives based on the Stand user’s lineage.

...No, Jotaro mentioned ”two” of them. But the people he pointed to weren’t Holy, but Joseph and Avdol.

Does Jotaro know that both he and Avdol are Stand users? How did Jotaro know?!

Joseph, who had not yet succumbed to senility, quickly had several possibilities flash through his mind. But faster than Joseph’s thinking was Jotaro Kujo’s next move. And his voice.

”Listen up, Gramps! This isn’t you questioning me; it’s me questioning you!”

What happened? Under Joseph’s horrified gaze, Jotaro Kujo flipped his left hand. A metallic, mechanical severed finger was suddenly held between his fingers.

”Although I’m not clear on why you rushed here from New York, Gramps... I imagine it’s nothing more than trying to teach me the logic that ’there’s always someone better out there.’ You likely intended to use your ’evil spirit’ to show me I needn’t worry about this ’evil spirit’ causing accidents, so that I’d leave with you.

But clearly, your ’evil spirit’ can’t stop mine at all.”

Without a doubt, the mechanical severed finger in Jotaro’s hand was the one from the mechanical prosthetic on Joseph’s left hand.

Even if mechanical sensitivity couldn’t compare to a real human hand, Joseph was a man who had lived a long time in peace and personally hated the word ”effort.” He had even forgotten the breathing rhythm that had been specifically corrected by a Ripple respiratory correction mask back in the day.

Were it not for the fact that he was a natural-born Ripple warrior... although he couldn’t compare to the refined breathing rhythms of specialized Ripple warriors, Joseph could naturally generate a bit of Ripple through breathing. The fact that he could still have an affair at sixty-five and run across half the globe at sixty-eight proved his current state. In truth, he wasn’t much different from his rookie self back then—and he possessed the combat experience his younger self lacked.

Back then, he could react even to the Space Ripper Stingy Eyes, yet now he couldn’t even see when Jotaro had moved!?

Just how many surprises was this grandson of his hiding from him?!

”Did you see it? Did you notice? If not, you should understand that you simply cannot stop my ’evil spirit’.” Casually tossing the mechanical finger back to Joseph, Jotaro Kujo spoke unceremoniously.

”Tell me everything you know, then don’t bother me again... That is the only purpose for you coming here.

Otherwise, you’ll only make your already short remaining lifespan even shorter.”

Those words were spoken coldly. But that was Jotaro’s style. Facing a pretentious and incompetent teacher, he would teach them a lesson without a second thought, ensuring they never had the courage to step into the school gates again. If the food in a restaurant wasn’t worth the price, he would dare to leave without paying after taking only a single bite. Add to that the fact that he usually sent the punks who provoked him to the hospital—with some still not having been discharged—it was natural for Jotaro Kujo to be labeled a ”delinquent.”

But rather than being a delinquent, it was more accurate to say that as long as Jotaro Kujo believed something was right, he would do it regardless of the consequences. Even if it wouldn’t be understood by others.

Therefore, it was the same now. Since he believed Joseph lacked the ability to stop the ”evil spirit” on his body, he would not leave with Joseph. Instead, following his original plan, he would keep this ”evil spirit” imprisoned in the detention cell.

Coincidentally, this also suited Joseph’s intentions. Or rather, it was much like when Lisa Lisa met her son Joseph again. Upon hearing that Joseph was going to challenge the Pillar Men, she put him through hellish training with eyes that looked at him like a pig in a slaughterhouse.

Facing an enemy like DIO, whom they were bound to encounter, if Jotaro Kujo didn’t have such ability, staying in this detention cell would probably be the best choice for him. But if he did have it...

”Avdol, it’s your turn!” Joseph snapped his fingers. He handed the negotiations over to the foreigner in ethnic clothing who had come with them.

”This is a friend I met in Egypt three years ago. His name is Avdol.

Jotaro, don’t you want to know about ’ghosts’?

Rather than a verbal explanation, you’d probably prefer this method of personal experience to help you understand the situation.”

At this point, Joseph turned to look at Avdol and pointed his finger back toward Jotaro Kujo. ”Since my grandson is being so insistently hospitable... Avdol, if we don’t kick him out of this cell, we might be doing his ’invitation’ a disservice.”

It’s coming! Seeing Avdol step forward, Shirou Emiya knew this was the best moment for him to intervene in the plot. It was also his only current way to break the deadlock. The moment Joseph finished speaking, Shirou immediately added:

”Mohammed Avdol. His ’ghost’—or rather, his Stand—is named [Magician’s Red]. Its ability is the manipulation of flame and heat.

...Now that you know this information, are you really sure you want to fight here?”

With just that one sentence, Shirou Emiya drew the gaze of everyone around him. He continued: ”In the narrow space of a detention cell, what kind of impact will the high temperatures from [Magician’s Red] have?

And the shockwaves generated by air exploding from thermal expansion and contraction—are you sure it won’t cause harm to others?

Even if this level of heat can be precisely controlled by you, Avdol, will you still have the energy to control the transfer of that heat during a battle with Jotaro’s Stand?”