Steel Ball Run - Chapter 39
Summary
As Diego, Johnny and Gyro ascend the hill, Diego realizes that with his exhausted horse and Gyro's tenacity, both horses will collapse if he does nothing. Johnny, having observed Diego, suspects that the apparent stillness hides an attack, which is true as Diego uses fleas transformed into tiny dinosaurs to attack Valkyrie. Johnny cannot bear it anymore and approaches Diego to shoot him, but Diego is faster and almost cuts Johnny's arm off. Diego doesn't have time to kill Johnny as Gyro unholsters a Steel Ball. Diego sneers at the projectile-based attacks, but Gyro made sure to throw the Steel Ball at the same speed as the horses, making its relative speed quite slow to Diego. He doesn't react in time and is hit. Unhorsed and his horse having collapsed, Diego is beaten. However, Gyro is angry and hits Johnny, as his intervention didn't make the victory a complete, crushing domination and that will push Diego to take revenge. Gyro later apologizes.
Some time later, the duo meet Lucy who presents the Spine to them and explains everything about her involvement. The trio is confronted by Blackmore, and then Johnny and Gyro attack him. However, the raindrops deviate the projectiles as well as make holes in their arms. They are immobilized by raindrop blades and Blackmore swiftly holds Johnny with a detached hand. Gyro throws his second Steel Ball, which is blocked by the raindrops. The raindrops are however evaporated by the friction and the Steel Ball pierces Blackmore's defense, hitting him before he can kill Lucy. The rain has stopped and Blackmore dies. The Spine subsequently fuses with Johnny and he falls, the mud forming a map of the Michigan Lake in which three Corpse Part locations are shown.
