Chapter 439: The Final Battle
[Diana Hawk is far stronger than you imagined—her strength and speed even surpass yours. She's wielding a flaming whip while clutching the Saint's spine, darting about trying to escape. It must have been her who found the Saint's spine within the hurricane. Beside her stands the current third-place racer, Jonathan Joestar. His Stand is a violet-colored spirit that occasionally defends her, shouting "Ora Ora!" as it attacks.]
[But there are many attacking them—among them are those you've already eliminated, like Dentist Jonathan, the Joker, and your old acquaintance Dio Brando. There's also another seeded contestant who hasn't appeared much so far, the famous cowboy Barrett Allen. Like the Joker, Barrett Allen's Stand specializes in speed—so fast it's like lightning, impossible to track.]
[You had already suspected that Dio Brando might have been bought off by Lex Luthor, and now it turns out your hunch was right—they've joined forces.]
[Dio Brando's Stand is a golden humanoid spirit whose strength and speed both surpass your Rainbow Catcher. Its attacks are bizarre—no matter how closely you watch, the battle appears fragmented and incomprehensible. But Bruce Wayne, at your side, manages to discern something.]
[He tells you: Dio's Stand ignores distance and attacks in an instant, leaving not even a ten-thousandth of a second's interval. Its ability must be time stop—something close to invincible. But, considering the scalar particles involved in localized time halts and the topological perspective of temporal stasis, if you can give yourself enough time to craft equipment that causes the surrounding air particles to stop resonating—freezing and hardening them—then if Dio tries to force his way through the air, it'd be as if countless particles simultaneously pierced through his body.]
[??? You lower your head in shame, admitting you don't understand a word of what he just said. Despite his seemingly flippant demeanor, his mind is sharp, his combat instincts precise, and his strategic foresight impeccable. If it can be avoided, you'd rather never have him as an enemy.]
[The downpour shows no sign of letting up. Diana isn't a Stand user, nor does she know Dio Brando's true ability, so she's gradually covered in wounds. If Lex Luthor hadn't been sending assassins after you nonstop, you would've preferred a fair race—but now his interference only fuels your defiance.]
[As your horse gallops forward, you pull an umbrella from the saddle's side, open it, and shoot up into the air. Within your Stand's range, all the raindrops become both shield and weapon. With a sharp swish, a few drops turn into flying blades that slice through the air, easily neutralizing the deadly nail attacks from Dentist Jonathan.]
[But just as you're about to reach the battlefield, a brilliant light flares up—high above, a vague human form shrouded in radiance appears. Your eyes meet his, and you can barely make out the crown of thorns upon his head. Just that single glance makes your entire body tremble and your thoughts scatter.]
[The Saint descends.]
[Everyone freezes, staring skyward in awe. Under your Stand's influence, the rain stops midair. Within the dazzling beam of light, only you and the radiant Saint hang suspended—one still, one moving—forming a stark, breathtaking contrast.]
[He points down toward you. Instantly, the spine in Diana's hands flies up, shooting toward you and merging into your body. The Saint's relic has chosen you! (You have obtained a new specialty: The Saint's Blessing.)]
[At the same time, the sand on the ground gathers beneath you, forming a vast pattern—a map unmistakably depicting Lake Michigan, one of the Great Lakes. If memory serves, Lake Michigan lies at the endpoint of the fifth stage and the entrance to the sixth.]
[Within Lake Michigan, two relics lie close together—marked clearly on the map as the right hand and both ears. They're buried side by side! (You have obtained The Saint's Relic: Spine.)]
[Your Stand's power surges. The destructive force of your water orbs intensifies, and your destructive power, range, and precision all increase. Even without your Stand, your strength as a Heroic Spirit now rivals top-tier ones. (Special Skill "Rainbow Catcher" has advanced to High Level.)]
[Perhaps because the spine connects the body and limbs, another mark appears—this one near Lake Huron, at the sixth stage's endpoint—signifying the Saint's torso.]
[The final mark shows the Saint's feet, located on the plains between the seventh and eighth stages. Only the head and heart remain unaccounted for.]
[The miracle before everyone's eyes leaves them all stunned. Those who had intended to continue fighting you immediately scatter, rushing off to pursue the other relics.]
[This means that from here on, the race will no longer be just about victory—it's now about who will possess the Saint's relics.]
[After the battle, Diana and Jonathan Joestar thank you for your help and ask to join your team to seek the Saint's remaining relics together. Bruce Wayne jokingly names your temporary alliance "the Justice League," and everyone except you votes in favor. (Achievement Unlocked: Justice League)]
[After this round, due to the sudden hurricane and torrential rain, there are only 298 riders left from the 1,498 who began the fourth stage—barely one-thirtieth of the original participants. The brutality of this tournament speaks for itself.]
[You notice on the upper balcony, the current President—long-haired Lex Luthor—quietly watching you. Even from afar, you can see he's fiddling with a broken arrowhead.]
[The fifth and sixth stages are merged: starting from Kansas City, passing through Chicago and Lake Michigan, and ending at Mackinaw City and Lake Huron—a total distance of 1,500 kilometers.]
[Although you finished this round in fifth place, your overall ranking remains first. The race has now entered its most critical phase.]
[February 14, 1973—though you encounter numerous Stand users and superpowered assassins along the way, none pose a real threat. After defeating a supervillain in a red hood, you seize from him a powerful energy sword that suits you perfectly. (You have obtained an Epic Item: Jason Todd's Energy Sword.)]
[The fifth stage concludes—you cross the finish line in first place, arriving in Chicago. Six or seven others arrive nearly at the same time, including the Joker and Dio Brando. You don't stop to rest, immediately pressing onward into the sixth stage.]
[From Chicago to the shores of Lake Michigan is less than twenty kilometers, yet every few steps you're ambushed by Stands and superpowered foes, making progress excruciatingly slow. When you finally reach Lake Michigan, the relics representing the right hand and both ears have already been excavated and are moving rapidly northward—Lex Luthor's men have taken them first!]
[March 1, 1973—after more than half a month of travel, you reach the sixth stage's endpoint at Lake Huron. Once again, luck isn't on your side—Lex Luthor arrives first and takes the Saint's torso. When you arrive, all you see is the dust of his departing off-road convoy.]
[Because of various delays, you finish this leg in sixth place—but you still maintain your overall first position.]
[The seventh stage begins at Lake Huron and leads to Bill McCarthy Parkway in Philadelphia, covering 1,300 kilometers. Once that's done, the race will be nearly over—5,840 kilometers out of 6,000 completed. The last two stages together total less than 160 kilometers.]
[By now, only 97 participants remain.]
[Six Saint relics have been found—three in your team's possession, three in your enemy's. Considering Lex Luthor may already have one or two others, the coming battle for the Saint's feet in the seventh stage will almost certainly be the final showdown.]
[Lake Huron was once home to the Iroquois tribe. It was formed through glacial erosion—a classic "glacial lake." Now, under a super cold front, as the riders depart from its shores, blizzards rage so fiercely that visibility drops to nearly zero.]
[In this weather, all vehicles—even off-road ones—are useless, and even horses can barely move.]
[But stopping isn't an option. The enemy is clearly ahead, and you can only press on through the storm.]
[Guided by the Saint's spine, you determine that His feet lie somewhere on the icy plains between Michigan and Ontario.]
[Amid the howling snow, the Saint appears again—glowing in the sky, thorns upon His head, His pierced right hand pointing northeast—then vanishes.]
[Another divine sign?]
[You follow His direction, finding a narrow path between two mountains leading deep into the ice field. Thanks to the peaks' shelter, the blizzard's intensity here is greatly reduced.]
[When you finally reach the site of the Saint's feet, you come face-to-face with Lex Luthor and his team, who have arrived at the same time!]
[The long-haired Lex Luthor meets your gaze in silence, then raises a hand to point at you. Behind him, a crimson Stand manifests—he's a Stand user too.]
[Without warning, the final battle begins!]
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