Chapter 59
Summary
From Joseph’s failed Ripple attack, he concludes that Santana’s skin functions similarly to Straizo's scarf which absorbs the Ripple, as Joseph's Ripple redirects to the Nazi blood on the floor. Santana laments similarly that Joseph and Santana’s body both repel one another, which is unheard of for a human. In turn, Joseph realizes, with Speedwagon’s help, that the Ripple protects him from Santana’s absorbing moves. Learning this, Joseph starts thinking of ways to escape while Stroheim keeps telling Joseph to destroy Santana for the good of humanity.
Santana, taking advantage of Joseph’s distraction, extends one of his fingers and, since both their bodies repel one another, pokes Joseph and sends him flying into a wall. Thinking quickly, Joseph tries to stab a knife into Santana to transmit ripple energy through, but Santana turns his body into a rubber like substance that completely negates the knife's effects by folding in the skin where the knife plunges. Joseph then tries to send the Ripple through Santana’s eyes but those are rubber too. Tired of Joseph hitting him, Santana kicks Joseph off of him causing Joseph to lose consciousness. Sensing that Joseph has lost the ability to resist his absorbing powers, Santana goes in to assimilate Joseph.
Hell-bent on stopping Santana, Stroheim goes to the base's self-destruct switch but suddenly Joseph tells him to stop. Partially absorbed, Joseph explains that all has gone according to his plan. By holding his breath and not using the Ripple, Santana would absorb him enough to give Joseph access to his inner body and thus he would be able to transfer Ripple energy into it. He does so, ripping Santana in half.
