Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times (story arc)

Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times (太古から来た究極戦士) is the fourth story arc in Battle Tendency.

Summary
Still mutually hostile to Caesar following their match, Joseph is forced to wait several hours along with Speedwagon before Caesar's German contact Mark picks them up and brings them to the Roman Coliseum where the three Pillar Men are kept under watch by the Nazis stationed there. Along the way, explaining that he had formed an alliance with the Nazis due to their shared interest in stopping the Pillar Men, Caesar expressed pride in Mark planning to marry the girl the Italian introduced him to. The group arrives to "The Mouth of Truth", which serves as a secret entrance into the Pillar Men's resting place.

They arrive at the underground cave where the Pillar Men are, learning that they have already awakened and killed the Nazis platoon overseeing them. Mark attempts to run away, only to lose half of his body when one of the Pillar Men, Wamuu, casually walks into him. Ceasar is forced to put the dying Mark out his misery before attacking Wamuu to avenge his friend. But unlike Santana, the three Pillar Men are revealed to have dealt with Ripple users in the past and have developed counters as seen in Wamuu's headdress and Wind Mode.

After Caesar is defeated, Joseph takes over the fight to show off his Ripple-infused clackers. Wamuu accepts Joseph's challenge once the other two he calls his masters allow it. Wamuu then slices Joseph's wrist to the artery so the bleeding can serve as a timer for their fight. Joseph proves to be a capable fighter despite his lack of Ripple training, managing to wound Wamuu before pummeling the Pillar Man for various reasons that include just not liking him. But Wamuu's only allowed Joesph's hits to connect as punishment for underestimating his opponent and being scarred by him, eventually taking out Joseph with his Divine Sandstorm attack despite the human barely being caught in its crosshairs.

Wamuu is about to kill Caesar and Speedwagon as witnesses to his humiliation when he notices Joseph, feigning death the first few times, crawling towards a mine cart. Though Caesar assumes that Joseph is acting cowardly, he realizes that Joseph is luring the Pillar Man away to save him and Speedwagon. Wamuu reaches the same conclusion once on the cart, also guessing Joesph's intent to use a stick of dynamite to kill him and derail the wagon. After Wamuu personally knocks the cart off the tracks, he decides to finish Joseph off. But Joseph plays on Wamuu's pride and thirst for battle to give him a month to train for a good rematch. Wamuu accepts but implants a Wedding Ring of Death on Joseph's aorta to keep him from running away. Wamuu explains the ring will dissolve into a poison within 33 days while revealing the antidote to be inside his lip ring. One of the senior Pillar Man, Esidisi, also places his own ring around Joseph's windpipe, with the antidote in his nose piercing. The Pillar Men's leader Kars doesn't participate in the game.The three Pillar Men take their leave to find the Red Stone of Aja. In the aftermath, Caesar finds respect for Joseph for his heroic resistance.

Chapters

 * 021 (065). Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times (1)
 * 022 (066). Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times (2)
 * 023 (067). Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times (3)
 * 024 (068). Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times (4)
 * 025 (069). Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times (5)

Volumes

 * 03 (07). The Red Stone of Aja
 * 04 (08). The Final Trial!

Anime Episodes

 * 05 (14). Ultimate Warriors from Ancient Times
 * 06 (15). Qualification of a Hero