El Aleph - Final Arc
El ultimo viaje in Brasil 1986 (最後の旅, Saigo no Tabi, lit. The Last Journey) is the third and final arc of El Aleph, a light novel written by Junjo Shindo. It was published in the Winter 2023 issue of JOJO magazine on December 19, 2023 with 9 chapters.[1]
It continues from the Peru arc, with the first chapter of the final arc being the twelfth chapter overall. It takes place 12 years after the events of Peru in 1986. Lisa Lisa, Sasha Loggins, and J.D. Hernández invade the Amazon rainforest where the Selva Cartel operates to confront the cartel's boss, due to the temporal anomaly caused by El Aleph where the night never dawns.
Summary
Chapter 12
In 1986, Brazil, a commander and his soldiers from the Guardia Civil in Peru are dispatched for an unofficial paramilitary operation to infiltrate the Amazon rainforest where the Selva Cartel is operating. It is a settlement about 1500 kilometers east of the border between Peru and Brazil, with large farms, mines, water towers, and power generation facilities set up. The Guardia Civil soldiers travel all the way there by patrol boat at around 4 AM one night. They are armed with rifles, automatic guns, hand grenades, tear gas, and special flash bombs. They also have monocular and binocular night vision devices hanging from their military helmets. They are all motivated to fight thinking they'll get a large bonus, medals, and promotions if they can stop the cartel's activities.
As they approach the commune, the soldiers don't see anyone. However, they already had fallen into the cartel's trap. The cartel relies on the natural alarms of the jungle; if there's an unwelcome presence, animals will react and leaves will rustle. The cartel's members become aware of the troops and send out commands. Their members include Indios, mestizos, members of the Amazonian tribes such as the Jivaro and Huambisa, and people who seem to appear Native American. One man from the cartel warns the soldiers asking if they hadn't heard the rumors of the area being a "No Settlement Zone", and that they'll never see their families again. The vanguard reaches the center of the commune, where there are huge greenhouses lined up in rows emitting ultraviolet lights. This is a cocaine farm with a vast production of coca leaves at the highest quality which has been changing the international drug market. As the cartel members protect the greenhouses, the battle between the two groups begin.
None of the soldiers comprehend what happened to them, as they are attacked by invisible beings they can't see. The members die in a variety of gruesome ways. For example, some are blown away, some fall foaming at the mouth, and some burst into flames as if spontaneous combustion occurred. Meanwhile, the cartel members emit unintelligible cries, dance, and look like they're drunk on masato. The troops are unable to advance or retreat, could not capture a single person, and could not execute their Plan B to set fire to the entire settlement. Some soldiers are possessed and shoot at their allies while shouting "Hyahaha-hai!" at the same time.
One soldier attempts to escape, with his face smeared with dark blue mud. A dark-like mist emerges and he is suddenly attacked by an extremely heavy lobster-like creature which jumps onto his back. Seeing the otherworldly creature's horrifying face causes him agony. A bandanaed cartel member mocks them for dying without knowing what happened to them, and while he would like to reveal their tricks, those who can't see these invisible beings wouldn't understand them anyways. He also points out how no one is escaping this time, although their boss likes dramatic scenes that movies have where groups intentionally let an intruder escape to warn others not to go back. As the soldier dies, he wonders why the sun isn't rising yet, wishing he could see it before he dies rather than the creature's face being the last thing he sees. The bandanaed member tells him that the sun will never appear here.
For years around the commune, the average temperature in the jungle never exceeded 25 degrees Celsius, and the vegetation drastically changed, with only shade-tolerant trees lasting. As if a nuclear winter had arrived, this is a jungle where night never dawns.[2]
Chapter 13
Sasha Loggins travels alone to a decaying mansion in the lower town of Salvador, Bahia in Brazil. The house has a large garden and fountain, now overrun with weeds. There is also graffiti of poorly drawn mice and ducks. Dressed in worn leather overalls, an old jacket, and a baseball cap bearing the Speedwagon Foundation logo, Sasha thinks she might look like a homeless person or a laborer. With years of experience as both a bodyguard and an intelligence officer, Sasha is on the trail of Fernando Alhorn. After the Foundation exposed Alhorn's base in Peru, he has been taking on various personas, inciting civil wars, disguising himself as a descendant of exiled Russian nobility, or pretending to be a revolutionary. He masqueraded as a real estate developer and used this Salvador mansion for business dealings after the original owner passed away. This site is one of his last known bases, but since the early 1980s, Alhorn seems to have vanished into thin air. Although years have passed since then, the Foundation still finds it crucial to retrieve his Arrow.
Sasha calls back her flock of birds, and many of them land on her shoulders, taking turns chirping. These abilities have various names: "Monstruo" in Guatemala, "Fantasma" in Peru, and "Astral" by the Foundation. However, since they vary for each individual, they find it more fitting for each to have unique names. Sasha refers to her birds as "El Obsceno Pájaro de la Noche, or "El Pájaro" or "Rebaño" for short. Sasha's birds can physically interact with the environment, and although they're invisible to ordinary people, they can still be heard. Their flight ability is the same as normal birds, they can fly one to two kilometers away from Sasha's body, and they have high mobility and endurance. However, they are also troublesome, as they fight over food, defecate mid-flight, and cause neighborhood troubles with their squawks.
Sasha tells her birds to be quiet, promising them a special worm pasta treat if they can find a clue inside. The mansion's interior is even more deteriorated than outside. Amidst the rubble, Sasha uses her Ripple ability to create a simple detection device with her flask of mint tea, searching for any signs of life. However, she doesn't detect anyone. As she heads down a corridor, she finds several frescoes on the wall for over 15 meters, each depicting gruesome punishments like beheading, crucifixions, whipping, and impalement. One painting depicts saints kneeling and praying to the dark night sky. It has inscriptions from the opening lines of Genesis, Chapter 1 of the Bible, where it is stated that God called the light "day" and the darkness "night". Notably, "No apia luz!" is written above the text in reddish-black paint or blood. Sasha wonders why someone would go out of their way to write that, denying the premise of the Bible.
As Sasha looks around the mansion again, she notes that the damage does not look like simple neglect, but rather, it seems as if animals had rampaged inside. There are smashed walls, furniture, and chandeliers, so Sasha believes a fight took place. There are also no bullet holes, but it looks to Sasha as if a tornado had ripped through the house, so she wonders whether Alhorn used his ability. The Foundation still doesn't know what kind of ability Alhorn has, as he always keeps it a secret. Sasha continues the search until a bird comes back to her, looking eager for praise. The bird leads her to a library, where she finds blood under a bookshelf. After trying everything she could think of to move the shelf, she takes out a book from a box, and that leads to the bookshelf moving away to reveal a door to the basement. In the basement, Sasha starts feeling uncomfortable, choking from the foul air and unpleasant miasma. None of the lights are working, and there is even more destruction there compared to the upper floor, as if something rampaged through it. The place also seems to be some sort of factory, but it is unclear what Alhorn was creating. A bird gives Sasha a fragment of a human's finger bone. She then finds multiple skeletons in different poses, most likely to be the factory workers. In particular, one skeleton has its neck bone severed and its skull is nowhere to be found in the mansion.[3]
Chapter 14
Lisa Lisa is on a train, suddenly forgetting where she is as she awakens from dozing off. While watching the view outside, she recalls that she is traveling. She had been to many different places throughout her life, such as London, Venice, St. Moritz, Los Angeles, Antigua, Lima, and now the Andes. Lisa Lisa calls over indigenous vendors who are selling goods on the train, purchasing a pair of jacquard knitted dolls as souvenirs. The vendor's daughter asks Lisa Lisa if she's alone, also wondering where she's from and what her name is. This causes Lisa Lisa to wonder what name she should state, as she has had several different names. Her first surname was Straizo, then Joestar, then Greenberg. George was a Royal Air Force pilot but was murdered by a zombie pretending to be his commander. Lisa Lisa killed the zombie in revenge but was witnessed and had to become a stateless person with the Speedwagon Foundation's protection. She married Greenberg, a Hollywood screenwriter, much later. However, Greenberg fell ill and went through chemotherapy. Lisa Lisa cared for him every night until he passed away when Lisa Lisa was in her mid seventies. Lisa Lisa has now aged as well; her skin has wrinkles, she doubts she could use the Ripple as well as she used to, and she sleeps with the door unlocked out of fear she'll stop breathing. Although the Foundation staff still calls her Elizabeth Joestar, it unnerves her since Greenberg has been her last name for longer. However, she prefers the name "Lisa Lisa" overall, as that is who she has been for most of her nearly hundred-year journey.
At the terminal station, Lisa Lisa exits the train to be greeted by J.D. Hernández and other members of the Foundation. Based on Hernández's stern expression, Lisa Lisa senses that her continued involvement with the Foundation might be causing concern or annoyance among the active investigators, since she already retired as the head of the investigation team. Hernández reveals that he and the team have also traveled by a separate train to the highlands so she doesn't travel alone. They brought along a medical staff out of concern for her well-being since her son, Joseph Joestar, asked them to ensure she is safe. Lisa Lisa, now in her nineties, acknowledges her age and the worries it causes for those around her. She enjoys spending time with her son and his family, but he is busy with his real estate business so their meetings are infrequent, and she feels somewhat distanced from his daily life. She realizes that her hair is white and thinning, and her weakened knees and joints makes it difficult to walk. Nonetheless, she is strongly determined for just a little more time to complete her unfinished matters before she meets her end.
As they travel in a car arranged by the Foundation, Hernández brings up a recent report, which Lisa Lisa admits to having read as she secretly gets the reports mailed to her. Hernández is curious about her thoughts on the Selva Cartel and the peculiar phenomenon in the Amazon where it is infinitely night time. The Selva Cartel has been influential since the 1980s began, diversifying their criminal activities beyond drug trafficking. They cultivate coca leaves and process them into cocaine, which is then distributed to cities in Brazil and Peru. They have evaded American law enforcement, expanded their operations to include banks and pharmacy chains, and have political power to monopolize sales channels. Additionally, they mine and sell cobalt to military organizations in other countries. Their leader never appears in public and keeps their identity hidden. Hernández also points out how the Guardia Civil tried attacking them three days prior, but the bodies of the soldiers were found hanging by ropes from the trees in the surrounding jungle. The cartel has dozens of bodyguards, consisting of criminals, smugglers, Indigenismo followers, or people from guerrilla groups. In addition, they have the Native American hitman Devo the Cursed, a foreigner with two right hands, and other drifters. Since it's likely they all have abilities, Hernández wonders if Alhorn is their boss.
The Foundation is aware of 33 victims who were shot by Alhorn but have unknown abilities. He has shot from high places at pedestrians, targeted entire families of people he met, shot a Catholic priest during a sermon, and even tested it on an orangutan being transported to a zoo. The Foundation has encountered Alhorn three times. The first was when he escaped from San Juan de Lurigancho, then in a São Paulo casino in the late 1970s, where Hernández and Sasha failed to capture him. At the casino, Alhorn's companion used their ability, resulting in casualties without revealing Alhorn's own power. The third encounter followed a similar pattern, with Alhorn evading capture again. Lisa Lisa is haunted by the disappearance of two Foundation members, Octavio and Joaquín Ruiz-Jorruda, her biggest regrets. The duo reminded her of her son and former student. Despite extensive searches by Sasha and Hernández, they remained untraceable. Hernández laments how powerless they are to battle superpowered users in the Selva Cartel, but Lisa Lisa insists on her capability to contribute despite her age.
Lisa Lisa and her group arrive at Lake Titicaca, where they visit the Uru people living on floating islands made of totora. Hernández questions Lisa Lisa's decision to personally join the investigation, but she insists her visit isn't merely for gathering data. They learn that the man they are looking for is living in isolation on a single-person island. As night falls, they approach his solitary island, only to be met with a voice warning them to leave. The man, named Pisco, initially mistakes them for doctors sent by his family, but Lisa Lisa reveals that she knows who he is. They met before when Sasha, Octavio, and Joaquín rescued the hostages from Alhorn's citadel at Peru, since he was one of the Arrow victims as a young teen. After recognizing them as members of the Foundation, Pisco allows them to enter despite his doubts about their ability to help. They immediately notice that his body is full of nodules, tumors, and needle wounds. He is suffering from his ability, which causes intense pain, including an inability to control his urination due to live fish swimming inside him. The power, which he named Yawar Fiesta, randomly creates "stones" under his skin which are clones of items that made contact with his skin and mixed with his blood in the past. For instance, the needle used for his tattoo and fish that bit him years prior are now both embedded under his skin.
Suddenly, Pisco is possessed by Yawar Fiesta, warning Lisa Lisa about a threat named El Aleph and predicting that she'll die an agonizing death in darkness, even being eternally forgotten. During this possession, Pisco appears as an empty shell. Only Lisa Lisa could take part in the conversation, as Hernández is confused and points out that both Lisa Lisa and Pisco were silent for a while. Pisco returns to normal and asks them to leave, believing they can't assist with his condition. However, Lisa Lisa gives Pisco an inspirational speech about his ability being an extension of his soul. She suggests he could control his ability to create diamonds, potentially becoming wealthy and changing his lifestyle. Using the Ripple, Lisa Lisa helps alleviate some of Pisco's pain and improve his vitality, though she can't heal all his injuries. The process activates his body's vital functions and strengthens his immune system. After Lisa Lisa's intervention, Pisco's newfound willpower transforms his ability and allows him to expel the stones, needles, and fishes from his body. Lisa Lisa is optimistic that Pisco can repeat this process in the future. Before leaving, she asks Pisco to recreate the Arrow that shot him. She wants to use it on herself, despite the objections of Pisco and Hernández. She refuses to run away any longer and doesn't care about staking her life since she is close to death regardless. Pisco reluctantly agrees out of gratitude for her and succeeds in recreating the Arrow. Lisa Lisa uses it and the miracle she wished for comes true.[4]
Chapter 15
Lisa Lisa and the Speedwagon Foundation's South American expedition team head to their final mission together, into the infinitely dark Amazon rainforest. Countless dreams spread throughout the jungle. The lack of sunlight caused mutations to the shade-tolerant trees, eventually transforming the environment into a bizarre jungle that humanity has never observed. Plants dreamed of mating, animals dreamed of being tortured by the jungle's sprawling roots, and new subspecies of plants were created from crossbreeding. Dreams can be dangerous, as they contain delusions or desires that can be wicked. This jungle was considered more dangerous than slums, conflict zones between guerrillas and the government, and the territories controlled by ordinary drug cartels.
Near the end of autumn, the team of archaeologists and geologists from the Foundation ascend the Amazon River on patrol boats, wearing safari jackets and pith helmets. They set up camps along the way and eventually reach the jungle in a week. The researchers make various hypotheses on-site, such as whether suspended particulate matter like ash or smoke are blocking the sun's rays, or if the phenomenon is a mass hypnosis, distorting the cognition of every life in its surroundings. However, it is impossible for them to make a conclusion using their ordinary logic.
Lisa Lisa and Sasha, along with their team, had to manage their health and sleep carefully upon entering the jungle. They are accompanied by volunteers from the research department and the Rueda Squad, a modern combat unit. Not only does the Amazon require constant vigilance for altitude sickness as it lowers oxygen levels, but the miasma from the darkness worsens their situation. The Foundation consistently measures Lisa Lisa's blood pressure and heart rate, who jokingly refers to herself as a precious taxidermy mount. She is determined not to slow down their pace, maintaining her breathing with the Ripple. Sasha calls back her birds from scouting and Lisa Lisa is glad that she can see the cute birds now. Sasha reports that the cartel's bodyguards have already sensed their intrusion, but the group follows the bird anyways toward the commune, hoping that they could enter without bloodshed.
After about an hour, the cartel's guards confront them, asking if they're lost tourists and mocking them. Lisa Lisa attempts to defuse the situation and requests to meet with their boss, claiming that they're acquainted with him. Nonetheless, the guards have direct orders not to communicate with any intruder and to eliminate them instead. Although she rarely gets intimidated, Lisa Lisa feels that she is about to have a heart attack upon seeing the numerous Astrals summoned by the guards; there were multitudes of humanoid, mechanical, animal-like, and amorphous figures. Just before the intense battle ensues, Hernández and the Rueda Squad gather around Lisa Lisa in layers to protect her. One of the cartel's bodyguards begins the attack, slashing at Rueda Squad members with his serpent's sickle-like head. Others follow in quick succession, crushing trees and incapacitating the soldiers. Although the elite Foundation soldiers trained for this day, they couldn't adapt to actually battling Astrals. Sasha doesn't lose hope and starts her counterattack, scattering her flock high into the air and then having them rain down on her foes. Her swarm of birds protects her allies while also pecking or clawing at vulnerable spots of her opponents. She then combines her flock into a giant monstrous bird, demanding to see their boss.
The cartel's guards refuse to give up and strike down many of Sasha's birds, severely injuring Sasha as well. Lisa Lisa tries to use the Ripple, but finds it ineffective against Astrals. Seeing their hopeless situation, she is about to summon her Astral. However, Sasha stops her, believing that it isn't time for that yet as she should conserve her energy until they reach the boss. Despite that, Lisa Lisa can't stand seeing Sasha get hurt and tries summoning it again. Suddenly, a man with a dragon tattoo and braided hair intervenes, calming both sides. Lisa Lisa, Sasha, and Hernández recognize him as Joaquín. Joaquín's presence commands respect from the guards, indicating his high rank within the cartel. Despite being questioned about his alignment with Alhorn's gang, he remains silent, only offering a subtle, empathetic smile. He demonstrates his power by releasing a black wave that spreads across the jungle floor, passing harmlessly through Lisa Lisa and her group but leaving a chilling effect. Thus, Lisa Lisa realizes that the unending night is Joaquín's power.[5]
Chapter 16
Twelve years ago, Joaquín began his journey through the world of infinite darkness, where time no longer mattered. He was accompanied by Octavio, who lay in a cart grappling with phantom pains from his amputated leg. Joaquín wandered aimlessly, closing off his senses. He saw mirages and his body suffered from circadian rhythm disorders as he could only sleep in broken fragments. Abandoned by the sunlight, he no longer felt like he was human, and started to wonder whether he ever was human. Joaquín could only maintain his sense of self thanks to Octavio's voice. The orphans moved through various landscapes, with Octavio's pain and vulnerability weighing heavily on Joaquín. He was consumed by regret and guilt for being chosen by the Arrow rather than Octavio.
Not having any home to return to, Octavio suggested that they should head to the east, into the jungle, thinking it probably wouldn't matter if it was always night there. Octavio wondered what Joaquín would do if he dies, but Joaquín responded that he would want to disappear as well. They continued to ruminate on the past, wondering what went wrong, increasing their desires for revenge against Alhorn. Joaquín and Octavio's existence devolved into a near-animalistic state as they traversed the Amazon. They settled briefly in various places but never found peace, haunted by the darkness that followed them. They built a hut north of the Rio Branco and lived as hunter-gatherers. Later, they settled on an area made of volcanic deposits near the lower Marañón River and lived with a dying tribe. As they continued drifting, their journey and conditions spawned rumors and tales among local villagers, painting them as devils, spirits, vampires, or supernatural beings.
Eventually, they encountered a revolutionary from Ayacucho, who saw their eternal night ability as a blessing, as it could be used as a potential tool for political upheaval in South America. Joaquín and Octavio were reluctant, but the man convinced them as a fellow indigenous person. He brought up the clashes between guerrillas and the military, the rampaging police, the massacres of farmers, cross-border shooting victims, missing persons, and children dying from stray bullets. Thus, the orphans were drawn into the northeastern Amazon rainforest. They became guardians of a commune cultivating coca leaves which were to be used as funds for the revolution. Utilizing Joaquín's night power, they protected the commune and eventually took over its management when the owner of the commune died from a heart attack, leading to the formation of the Selva Cartel.
Over time, Joaquín and Octavio, now far removed from their former selves, fully embraced their roles in this dark world. Octavio adapted to his new life with a titanium prosthetic leg he bought with the money they earned, while Joaquín's spirit, overwhelmed by darkness, surrendered to instinct and violence. They ceased to question their circumstances, accepting their fate in the endless night.[6]
Chapter 17
Lisa Lisa ponders what they should do in this situation, as she reflects on the complexity of dealing with the Selva Cartel and the production of drugs that threaten people's lives and the world's beauty. However, her primary mission is to eliminate the threat caused by the Arrow. She initially planned to focus on capturing the cartel leader but meeting Joaquín here changed the circumstances. Joaquín leads Lisa Lisa, Sasha, and Hernández into the commune, with their wrists and mouths bound and under heavy guard. Although Sasha could still summon her birds, she wouldn't be able to gain an advantage anyways. Inside the commune, they observe a thriving community seemingly adapted to the infinite night. The commune resembles a religious settlement, with a temple-like building at its heart. As they enter this temple, Lisa Lisa feels that there is more to Joaquín's power, especially since he hasn't revealed his Astral form yet. They are led to a chamber in the innermost room of the temple, where they meet the boss of the cartel. He is lying on a bed made by joining two benches, and leisurely smoking a pipe.
The true boss of the cartel is none other than Octavio, not Alhorn like they expected. Octavio's hair has grown long and he now has a beard. Staring at the group, he points out how Lisa Lisa has aged and wonders how she is still alive. Reclining nonchalantly, he dismisses their concerns about his inhumane acts and the cartel's activities, claiming it's necessary to make a living since he has to provide for his community living here. His demeanor unsettles Lisa Lisa. Octavio asks what they came for, which angers Sasha. In response, Octavio flaunts his prosthetic leg, asking if they came to apologize or give him compensation for chopping off his leg without permission. He also confirms that he was the one who gathered all the ability users together for his army using the Arrow. They wonder how, since the Arrow belonged to Alhorn.
In a shocking revelation, Octavio divulges they already had their second encounter with Alhorn. He then displays the severed head of Alhorn, kept in a birdcage. Lisa Lisa and the others are speechless, watching Octavio toy with his former adversary's head like a bored deity. Despite how it may seem, Octavio admits that he still feels gratitude toward the Foundation, as Hernández educated them and he thought Lisa Lisa was strong and cool. That's why he let them in to see him, but he demands that they leave and not meddle with his business.
Octavio brings up how Joaquín's night ability is incredible, revealing that Alhorn named it El Aleph. He speaks to the head in the cage asking it to confirm, but it doesn't respond. Lisa Lisa is shocked upon hearing the name, recalling the prophecy she heard at the lake. Suddenly, Alhorn opens his eyes upon hearing the name, still semi-conscious despite only being a head. He grotesquely greets Lisa Lisa; his flesh decaying, eyes wildly rolling, cheek pulsing, mouth twitching, and tropical flies crawling all over his skin. Alhorn jokes that he was away for a bit, thinking that he had died. He asks Lisa Lisa if she can persuade them to put him out of his misery. Octavio speaks with Alhorn, showing the Foundation how the once-dominant gang boss is now merely a submissive head. Alhorn tries claiming that he's still a king even without his throne, but Octavio proves that it's clear that isn't the case. Octavio encourages Alhorn to narrate the events of their past encounter, so Alhorn agrees, as talking is all he could do now.[7]
Chapter 18
The talking head, Alhorn, narrates the events from the past when he encountered Octavio, Joaquín, and the deadly night ability. Alhorn was running a factory in Salvador where he illicitly produced firearms to sell to guerrillas. Octavio and Joaquín approached his gang pretending it was for a business deal, saying they'd like to buy out his weapons in bulk for their cartel. However, when Alhorn arranged the factory tour and saw them in person, he knew they were actually there for revenge seeing Octavio's anger. Octavio called him a devil, but Alhorn admits he's been called several names like that already, such as a villain, the Grim Reaper, an assassin, and Mephistopheles. Alhorn proved that his guns worked by killing several of Octavio's guards. After provoking them to bring out their Fantasmas, he thought they didn't do anything, but noticed it suddenly got dark outside.
Alhorn summoned his own Fantasma, El Corazón de las Tinieblas, a muscular humanoid figure resembling an Inca warrior that wore a mask with curved horns. He noticed that Joaquín looked at El Corazón, but Octavio didn't react. Seeing Octavio's prosthetic leg, Alhorn realized he must have been deemed unworthy by the Arrow and had to get it amputated. El Corazón attacked Joaquín but the latter dodged at the last moment, communicating something to Octavio which Alhorn couldn't understand. El Corazón then punched a wire mesh scaffolding Joaquín was standing on, which deformed and made a hole Joaquín fell into. El Corazón repeatedly tried punching Joaquín, but its punches were blocked by Joaquín's own arms. Alhorn wondered how Joaquín was capable of directly defending himself with his own body, but then noticed that dark spots emerged on Joaquín's arms, shoulders, and neck, which might have been his own Fantasma.
He decided to change his target to Octavio instead, blowing away Joaquín when he tried shielding Octavio. As El Corazón punched Octavio, mercury-like droplets burst out and caused Octavio's body to transform. These droplets were capable of altering the composition of objects and organisms by exchanging parts in whatever it strikes. Drenched in his own blood and bodily fluids, Octavio's blood vessels were swapped with his body hair, and his hand and finger bones were swapped with his teeth. Alhorn explains the rules of his ability: it only works when El Corazón strikes with its fists, the target must be something he is knowledgeable about like firearms or the human body, and the parts that get swapped are random. Nonetheless, he reveals that as he developed his skills, he's been able to have more of a choice on the swaps sometimes. Alhorn continued grotesquely deforming Octavio to torment him, swapping his right ear with his left toe, his left collarbone with his kneecap, his left leg with his right arm, and his right eighth rib with his left sternocleidomastoid muscle.
Octavio yelled at Joaquín not to come to him, so Joaquín obliged and ran up the stairs to the ground floor of the mansion. Alhorn chased after him, using El Corazón to rearrange the mansion into a labyrinth by swapping positions of walls and furniture, and destroying staircases. Nonetheless, Joaquín was able to keep evading him, slipping into different rooms. Alhorn could barely even see Joaquín's body anymore, which was enveloped in an intensely dark aura of the night. Alhorn cautiously tried bringing El Corazón closer to Joaquín, but in doing so, left his own body open. Despite all his injuries, Octavio managed to stab Alhorn using his prosthetic leg as a weapon. Octavio thanked Alhorn for making it easier to stab him, since his prosthetic leg was swapped with his arm. Alhorn felt that the situation was impossible, especially since Octavio and Joaquín were somehow able to communicate with each other telepathically.
Alhorn tried to quickly call back El Corazón, but it gets caught in what Alhorn believes to be is Joaquín's Fantasma. From a whirl of night above Joaquín's head, a beast that Alhorn doesn't even want to recall appeared, biting into El Corazón's neck. With El Corazón's throat crushed, Alhorn's neck was as well. He tried using El Corazón's ability on the creature, but nothing happened. In a desperate attempt to survive, Alhorn used El Corazón's power on himself just as his head was severed from his neck, swapping his heart with his right cheekbone. This created a successful bypass in his blood vessels while keeping the ventricles and atria intact, maintaining blood circulation and metabolic cell activity. El Corazón's effects on Octavio ended up deactivating during this, and the Fantasma itself stopped manifesting at all afterward, which Alhorn believes is because he lost his body. Left as a disembodied yet conscious head, Octavio lifted him up and demanded to know the whereabouts of the Arrow.[8]
Chapter 19
The group stays quiet for a while after hearing Alhorn's chilling tale of Octavio's revenge. Sasha breaks the silence by accusing Octavio of usurping Alhorn's position and becoming his successor by creating an army of ability users. Hernández admits that he barely understood the story, but pleads for Octavio and Joaquín to hand over the Arrow. Octavio rejects his plea, seeing the Arrow as a crucial element in their struggle for survival and power. Sasha questions if that means they'll be subjected to El Aleph's powers which Alhorn didn't even want to speak of. Lisa Lisa notices Joaquín become tense when Sasha suggests that. Octavio explains that the third world war has already begun, but rather than between nations, it's between individuals with these superpowers from the Arrow. He believes that they can't afford to be unarmed when an individual's power can rival an entire army. Octavio's ideology is driven by survival, having embraced a life beyond conventional morals and ethics. Lisa Lisa understands that his extreme actions stem from his desperate circumstances. However, Octavio has gone too far into evil; making enormous profits from selling cocaine, bribing authorities, and having political power to overthrow other cartels. He lives only to continue being admired and to protect his authority, wealth, and power. Lisa Lisa sees a parallel between Octavio and her foster father, Straizo, who also fell to evil. She is additionally reminded of Wamuu and Kars based on Octavio's temperament and actions.
Octavio demands Joaquín to unleash El Aleph on them, but Joaquín is reluctant and doesn't move. Lisa Lisa could feel how much Joaquín wanted to defy Octavio. Sasha and Hernández also try convincing the orphans that it's not too late to go back and find another way to live. However, under immense pressure and emotional turmoil, Joaquín eventually succumbs to Octavio's will. As if announcing the start of a ceremony, Octavio commands El Aleph to devour everyone. Joaquín releases a floating orb of darkness which a cocoon falls out of, spawning a myriad of nightmarish creatures. These entities attack indiscriminately, engulfing the temple in chaos and terror. These entities would never be found in any normal habitat in the world, as they don't belong on Earth. Although they give off the impression of being a single entity, they are actually multiple at the same time. They have no thoughts or self-awareness. All they do is exist, react, and feed on their prey. Their sizes vary from human-sized to gigantic and each individual is unique. The majority of them are grotesque hybrids of crustaceans, cnidarians, and insects. All of the creatures are blind and violently attack anyone in their path.
The infinite number of creatures even wipe out several of Octavio's own bodyguards, gruesomely devouring them. Sasha bumps into a giant crustacean-like creature, which makes her hand develop a rash. The rash swells into worm-like bulges, spreading to her arms and neck, resembling the marks of a branding iron or whip. Not only does she feel pain in the affected areas, but her fingertips become paralyzed. A coffee jelly-like bell-shaped creature resembling an umbrella stings Sasha with its tentacle and sucks her blood. Before she could lose consciousness, Hernández jumps onto the creature and attempts to set it on fire with his torch. However, the creature doesn't stop feeding on Sasha, and even blades and bullets are useless. Sasha attempts to use the Ripple on the creature, which forces the creature to let go of her. Thus, she realizes that these creatures are weak to the Ripple. Sasha and Hernández escape from the swarm of creatures by being airlifted out by Sasha's birds.
Alhorn is ecstatic about it being the end of the world, embracing the chaos that unfolds around him. He taunts the creatures to eat him already. Meanwhile, Lisa Lisa finds Octavio and Joaquín on the rooftop of the temple, which is now half-destroyed and filled with debris from the rampage of the creatures. Octavio wonders why Lisa Lisa is going to such lengths to pursue him even though she looks like she's on her deathbed, but Lisa Lisa just asks what Octavio plans to do now. Octavio suggests that they'll need to rebuild their organization, but thinks they should leave the jungle and hold a siege in the city. Joaquín, overwhelmed by emotion, starts shedding tears. Lisa Lisa divulges that she's the same as them, as her parents were killed when she was a baby. She connects with them through shared experiences of loneliness and the imaginative power of the night, but her words fail to sway Octavio.
Nonetheless, Lisa Lisa reveals that the real reason she came to them is to have a match with their Astrals. She declares that she will use her ability only once in her life, and against them. Lisa Lisa summons her Astral, The House of Earth, a powerful close-range ability. The House of Earth leaps toward Octavio and Joaquín and punches where they were standing, shattering the ground. Octavio is surprised to see how a dying old woman could have such a powerful ability, but Lisa Lisa claims that it's the power of her soul. During the fight, Lisa Lisa points out how Octavio is able to see The House of Earth despite supposedly not being chosen by the Arrow. Meanwhile, eldritch creatures from El Aleph swarm together below the stone slabs of the rooftop, making the ground rise up like an arena. Lisa Lisa asks Joaquín if he has any memories of not being with Octavio. She states how there are all sorts of different Astrals and the Foundation is rapidly discovering new categories when they receive new data, such as a case where a cargo ship visible to ordinary people appeared.
Octavio tells Lisa Lisa to shut up and kicks her with his prosthetic leg. Suddenly, a flock of birds swoops down and attacks him. As Sasha and Hernández arrive hanging on the birds, Sasha reveals that El Aleph's creatures are weak to the Ripple. Using that to her advantage, Lisa Lisa commands The House of Earth to draw in air and forcefully exhale ferocious wind. Octavio struggles to cling to a slab of stone, his face getting scorched from the wind. The House of Earth's power generates solar wind consisting of superconducting particles from the earth. Thus, Lisa Lisa could infuse the wind with her Ripple Overdrive. As she does so, the golden wind wipes out El Aleph's creatures, burning them as if they are being purified. However, Lisa Lisa had to exert all her strength to infuse the strong wind with her Ripple energy. She could feel her blood surging at 100 degrees Celsius, threatening to rupture her lungs and organs if she continued fighting. Lisa Lisa feels that The House of Earth's power is the culmination of the Ripple technique. She once knew extraordinary Ripple warriors, such as her son who infused the Ripple into American clackers and her student who infused the Ripple into a blood-stained soap bubble. Lisa Lisa can see the faces of all the Ripple warriors appearing and disappearing in the wind like her memories flashing before her eyes.
Lisa Lisa declares to Joaquín that he is not actually human, but is Octavio's Astral. This revelation shocks Joaquín, who had always believed himself to be a separate, independent entity. Joaquín thinks back to the past and realizes he just manifested in the darkness at the Hill of the Cross when Octavio wanted a friend to play soccer with. Octavio was always told by the sister at the orphanage to make friends. Thus, Octavio unintentionally activated his innate ability. He created a friend that was his age, was a mestizo rather than indigenous, was smart, could return the ball back more accurately than a wall, and was someone who was just as lonely to share his fears and sorrows with. Joaquín's traits were all what Octavio mostly wished for, aside from not being able to speak. He was good at anything but never outshone Octavio aside from when it came to studying, which was what Octavio didn't mind not being number one in. Thus, Joaquín grasps that he is El Aleph.
Lisa Lisa figures that Octavio must have learned the truth at some point, even if he didn't know when he was younger. She theorizes that Octavio's original ability was to create a friend with a completely independent ego, flesh, blood, and spirit, and that it might only be activated once in a lifetime. Joaquín was an Astral yet also had human traits and could be seen by anyone. Although he is independent, he doesn't stray far from his user's desires and would always protect Octavio. Joaquín feels that he is stupid for not realizing it sooner, and also feels angry at Octavio for not telling him. The black marks on Joaquín engulf his whole body, even covering his eyes as black tears stream down his cheeks. He starts to feel a little bit of hate toward Octavio, as Octavio forced him to do so many evil deeds. Octavio tells Joaquín that just being aware of the truth now won't change anything between them. Lisa Lisa told Joaquín the truth because she believes he could be the hope of the world, especially with how he showed defiance toward his user before.
Octavio still rejects everything Lisa Lisa conveys, determined for his dreams not to end here. Lisa Lisa wishes that when she passes away she could see the smiles of her loved ones, including Octavio and Joaquín, but she knows something like that can't happen anymore. A giant crane-fly like creature pierces through the edge of the arena. Lisa Lisa and Octavio both nearly fall off the cliff, but Joaquín instantly rescues Lisa Lisa, grabbing her arm. Octavio barely manages to climb back up himself. He tries kicking Lisa Lisa back down the cliff with his prosthetic leg, but Joaquín pushes him away, defying his user once again. The House of Earth pauses the exhalation of wind and launches a barrage of punches at Octavio. Joaquín throws himself in front of Octavio to protect his user. Consequently, the two are blasted away and fall into the abyss below the cliff where the horde of El Aleph's eldritch creatures are. It is unknown whether the creatures would devour their own creators or if they would disappear if Octavio and Joaquín are incapacitated. The House of Earth and Lisa Lisa wipe out the remaining creatures on the top of the cliff with one last Ripple-infused wind.
Lisa Lisa reaches her limits. Before she collapses from exhaustion, she implores Sasha and Hernández to rescue Octavio and Joaquín. While on the ground, Lisa Lisa witnesses a spectacular aurora in the sky caused by the solar wind from The House of Earth. The endless night from El Aleph disappears and morning finally arrives in the jungle.[9]
Epilogo
Lisa Lisa's story ends in the Speedwagon Foundation's official records after her return from the Amazon. She contracted malaria from the jungle and assumed it would be her end as she wandered the border between life and death for three days. Her family and associates all gathered around to visit her at the time. However, Lisa Lisa survives the ordeal and chooses to live in a sanatorium on a hill along with nurses and caretakers. She enjoys the solitude, often gazing at the surrounding nature and sitting in a rocking chair on the porch. She no longer goes shopping and her visitors are scarce. A few months after she moved into the facility, her son Joseph Joestar and daughter-in-law Suzi Q, visits her. This leads to a brief revival of her spirit as she reminisces of her past and shares stories of her past adventures in Central and South America at their request.
The Selva Cartel's operations are shut down by the Guardia Civil. The living residents, farmers, and remaining bodyguards went separate ways. The fate of the group's leaders, Octavio and Joaquín, remains undocumented officially, but their memory lingers in the hearts of those involved. Sasha and Hernández also secured Octavio's Arrow and securely placed it in a storage area known only to a few.
Suzi Q feels chills upon seeing Lisa Lisa. She tells Joseph that Lisa Lisa has been talking to herself more, become skinnier, her cheekbones are more prominent, and her white hair is now tangled and unkempt. She also stopped going to the beauty salon and looks very burnt-out. Joseph reassures her not to worry, believing she still has plenty of life left in her even if she can no longer use the Ripple. Joseph asks Lisa Lisa what happened to Octavio and Joaquín, but she claims they visited her several times after that. Joseph doesn't know whether she means real visits or in dreams, but doesn't press further. He and his mother discuss the awakening of extraordinary powers around the world. Joseph himself has developed unique abilities, allowing him to create thorny vines and produce spirit photography. Through his ability, he learned about DIO's revival. He speaks with Lisa Lisa about the Star Birthmark and all sorts of topics. She believes there is nothing she could do about DIO herself, as evil is something that will always regenerate with the course of the world.
Joseph doesn't like the terms 'las Maravillas' and 'Astral' to describe the powers, so he asks Lisa Lisa if they should call it something else. His mother suggests the term "Friends", thinking of Octavio and Joaquín. However, Joseph laughs and finds the term somewhat mild but appreciates the sentiment. When it's time for Joseph to leave, he is reluctant to say goodbye. He hugs Lisa Lisa tightly and leans his head on her shoulder while trembling. Lisa Lisa comforts him, gently rocking him for a while and reassuring him that it's okay. He is set to travel to Japan after sending his wife back home.
As Lisa Lisa watches the world from her rocking chair, she muses on the passing of an era and the emergence of a new world that belongs to the younger generations, including her descendants who will inherit the golden spirit. While Joseph heads to the airport, he listens to his Walkman inserted with a cassette by Ben E. King. Thus, he decides to name the power a "Stand", inspired by his mother's story. Unaware of what the future would have in store for Joseph, Lisa Lisa drifts into a peaceful sleep, softly closing her eyes.[10]
Appearances
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Gallery
Ultra Jump December 2023 Advertisement
Lisa Lisa on the cover of the final arc
Trivia
- The nineteenth chapter was labeled as Chapter 17 (XVII) in JOJO magazine 2023 WINTER, but this was corrected to "XIX" in the novel release.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Vish (October 18, 2023), "JOJO magazine 2023 WINTER Releases in December With New Novels and Manga", JoJo's Bizarre Encyclopedia.
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 12
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 13
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 14
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 15
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 16
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 17
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 18
- ↑ El Aleph Chapter 19
- ↑ El Aleph Epilogue
