Across from DIO, Jonathan wiped the thick, sticky blood from his eyes and glanced back at the Stand answering his every command. He gave a quiet, almost imperceptible nod.
My Stand looks just like DIO's… Is it because my body and DIO have been fused together for so long that even this has carried over?
But no matter. Whatever the reason — it's more than enough to kill him.
In an instant, Jonathan's gaze sharpened to a blade. He fixed his eyes on DIO — and DIO, meeting that stare head-on, felt every hair on his body stand on end.
The World plus Ripple. Even a god would break under that combination.
Sure, we both have The World. On paper, that's an even match. But then you go and pour Ripple energy directly into your Stand — and what am I supposed to do with that? I'm a vampire. I have a hard counter sitting in my face.
A type disadvantage like that doesn't just tilt the fight. It ends it.
"DIO…"
Then came a voice — like something hauled up from the depths of hell — and DIO felt himself plunge back into ice-cold dread all over again:
"I'm here to correct my mistake. The mistake of failing to kill you — back then!"
In that same instant, the Stand surged forward — Ripple blazing across every knuckle — and swung at DIO with everything it had. This time, DIO didn't even feel the urge to trade blows.
When you're up against something this broken, the only reasonable response is to not touch it.
He clenched his jaw, didn't waste a single breath on hesitation, and spun on his heel.
"ZA WARUDO!"
The gears bit down. The world froze.
But in the very instant DIO activated his time stop, he saw it — Jonathan's World had engaged its gears at almost the exact same moment. It, too, had entered stopped time, nearly simultaneously.
Cheats. He's running cheats.
The punch landed clean.
The impact tore through DIO like a freight train — an all-consuming, full-body agony that made him feel, for the briefest and most humiliating moment of his immortal existence, like he wanted to die. He was launched over ten meters through the air.
But he didn't dare slow down for even a second. The moment he hit the ground, he scrambled back to his feet—
And ran.
Blood poured from every inch of him, but DIO didn't allow himself a single reduction in speed. He bolted through the halls of the castle in a full, frantic sprint.
"Go after him. Don't let him escape."
Still anchored in his soul form, Anthony narrowed his eyes, hovering at Jonathan's side as he watched DIO's retreating figure. He spoke the words as a quiet nudge.
Jonathan gave a brief nod — and immediately launched into pursuit. Anthony watched them both go, a faint smile playing at the corner of his mouth, and found himself quietly marveling at the sheer spectacle of it all.
So. Who wants to tell me — who's DIO's most terrifying father figure now?
Still, if he was being honest — what came next was almost certainly going to diverge heavily from canon. A lot of it.
No idea exactly how it'll change. Guess we'll find out.
The thought flickered through Anthony's mind — and then he heard a sound drifting up from below. He paused, just slightly, then hooked Jonathan's physical body with the fishing rod and ascended to the highest point of the castle, surveying everything from above.
After his resurrection, Jonathan had immediately started running on cheat mode — using The World as naturally as if it had always been his own. Anthony had halfway expected this; it had fallen within his range of predictions.
But fortunately.
I've got my own cheat mode.
He took in the full layout of the castle from his elevated vantage point and felt, inwardly, a quiet swell of satisfaction.
Thank god I'm running the wallhack too. If everyone's got cheats, at least the playing field is level.
Being a soul does have its perks, after all.
He looked down in DIO's direction and, through the fishing rod, transmitted his words directly to Jonathan:
"Turn left. DIO went that way."
"Understood."
Jonathan answered without missing a beat, cut left — and Anthony kept his eyes locked on DIO, feeding him a continuous stream of callouts.
Then, all at once, Anthony saw DIO come to a halt. Something had made him stop. A slight frown crossed Anthony's face.
What is he up to?
But the answer came quickly.
DIO wasn't alone in this castle.
Of course he wasn't. Right there in front of him stood one of his loyal servants — Vanilla Ice, Stand User of Cream, the void devourer. A devoted, fanatical follower, faithful to DIO unto death.
Vanilla Ice didn't even have time to say a single word.
DIO's hand moved — one clean strike to sever the carotid artery — and in the blink of an eye, he had drained the man dry. The wounds covering DIO's body began to knit themselves shut in real time.
"DIO went to find a blood bag. His wounds are healing."
"Even now — even at a moment like this — he would still take the life of an innocent…" Jonathan's eyes hardened by a full degree. His reply came almost immediately. "Understood. I will end him as quickly as possible."
Anthony's expression grew distinctly strange.
Did DIO just… accidentally stack a rage buff on Jonathan? Is that what just happened?
Whatever. As long as this gets finished, I'll count it as a win.
The thought had barely passed when Anthony noticed movement at the entrance to the castle's basement.
A group of people was coming in.
He looked more carefully — and felt genuine surprise flicker across his face.
The people now entering this vast castle were the Stardust Crusaders.
Watching Jotaro walking at the front of the group, Anthony felt a new idea take shape in his mind almost instantly.
If I'm being real — Jonathan hard-counters DIO on paper, but DIO's raw speed is still a pain to deal with in practice…
Though looking at this situation, that might not actually be a problem anymore.
"Jonathan," Anthony said, his voice quiet and measured.
"Can you try to draw DIO toward the entrance of the manor? I'll navigate for you."
____
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