Ever since the first signs of life appeared on Earth, they have started to evolve and adapt to a variety of environments. Some can withstand the extreme depths of the sea, some are at home soaring through the sky. They've conquered the densest of jungles and the widest of savannas. Even extreme temperature regions, such as the hottest desert or the frigid antarctic, eventually proved no match for the power of evolution. But to this day, there is one type of environment that has never been adapted to by any living being. The boiling magma of an active volcano.

Acting as conduits for the immense energy that exists within the core of the planet, volcanoes are powerful natural phenomenon capable of wiping out entire civilizations when they erupt. Before that power, even the strongest of living things is as a mere insect. Even humans, whose advancements in technology allowed for further evolution, have never been able to conquer this most powerful of forces, which rivals even the energy of the atomic bomb.

It was with this in mind that Joseph planned to ram Kars right into the very island that gave the volcano its name, Vulcano Island. One of only four active volcanoes in Italy found above sea level, the island was named for Vulcan, the Roman god of the forge, largely because it was thought in myth to house his private workshop. Since it was the closest volcano to Piz Bernina, Joseph chose it when he came up with his plan to finally end Kars once and for all.

However, Kars was not about to give up just yet. He immediately grabbed the iron plates of the plane and started to tear through them. "Don't underestimate my new power, Jojo!," he called out, "Even now I can still move out of the way of this suicide attack!" "Suicide?," Joseph asked, "I'm not sure what you thought my plan was, but killing myself was never part of it." Kars realized what Joseph meant when a metal hand suddenly grabbed him by the back of his neck.

To his shock, Stroheim popped out of a nearby landing float. "I froze my ass off waiting for this chance," he noted, "Luckily I anticipated what Jojo's intentions were. Jojo, get ready to jump!" "I hope you're as durable as I think you are!," Joseph said, leaping out of the plane and into Stroheim's arms. Stroheim then landed feet first on the island, though the impact caused them to tear apart it created enough of a buffer that he and Joseph landed without fatal injury.

Caesar and Applejack soon joined them. "That was too close," Caesar said, "For a moment I thought you'd wind up crashing right into the lava." "Even better," Joseph said, "It looks like Stroheim's arm is keeping Kars busy long enough that he will be crashing." Kars screaming in frustration as the plane slammed right into the middle of volcano, the impact creating a small eruption on the surface. Already the intense heat was starting to boil Kars alive.

"Have to grow a shell!," he said, "Like a seashell!" He began trying to grow a crab shell to protect him, but that only served to boil him further. "Give it up Kars!," Joseph called out, "That lava has a temperature of a thousand degrees! It doesn't matter what animal you turn into, they'll all burn one way or another! It's over!" They watched as Kars disappeared into the lava, screaming all the way. "We got him!," Stroheim said, "In the end, not even an ultimate life form could stand up to the deadliest force of nature known!"

Just then, the ground started to rumble. "Looks like that smaller eruption was just the beginning," Caesar said, "We'll have to finish our celebration once we get to safety." Just then, a large fissure seemed to track Joseph, and in the next instant he found his left arm cleanly sliced off from the elbow down. "What the hell...?" From the fissure, a rocky arm burst out, wielding the familiar form of Kars' Bright Saber. To the group's horror, Kars emerged from the ground, still alive and instantly healed. "Impossible!," Stroheim called out, "How did you managed to survive the magma!?"

Kars smirked. "I'll admit, you almost had me there. No matter what creature I thought of, they all seemed useless. I was nearly finished. But then I had a brainstorm. I immediately finished growing the crab shell I was working on, then let it melt and grew another shield over it. For this one I took a page from Caesar's book, and created bubbles from the crab form to shield myself. This resulted in a pocket of cool air between the lava and my body, protecting me. It would only last a few minutes, yes, but that's all the time I would need to escape from the fiery death trap you placed me in."

He laughed at the horrified faces of the heroes. "How long I have waited to see those stares. Earth created life, but now, against all odds, I have eventually found a way to defeat the Earth itself!" Stroheim was truly sweating now. 'At this rate there's nothing left... The lava was our last hope... Kars has practically become a god! And we have nothing to defeat a god! Our only choice is to surrender at this point...' It was truly looking like the end for the group as Kars began to approach Jojo.

Meanwhile, Wamuu had found himself a deep cavern near the ruins of Piz Bernina to wait out the day. "I wonder how Jojo and the others are faring. Kars was sure that with enough adaptation, he could conquer all environments on Earth. I suppose I'll know the truth before too long." He then spotted something on the cave that looked familiar. "This is... These writing are from our kind. But they looked so new, yet Kars and Esidisi were supposed to have eradicated the rest of our race save for me and Santana. Could more of us have escaped his notice, like with the Hamon clan? If so, I must find a way to contact them..."

The final battle ends next chapter. You don't wanna miss it.