Long before the battle with Jūzō Biwa and Kurosuki Raiga, Ryosuke had already gotten rid of the Hamon User's greatest limitation, air.
In addition, afterward came energy absorption from self-cultivation, and basic knowledge from Orochimaru.
Ryosuke had grasped the "Energy" within his body.
Breathing or not did not affect his use of Hamon.
Moreover, heart? Throat?
For Ryosuke, these also could not be considered fatal injuries.
A fist swung down, even if blocked by ice so that Hamon power could not spread, still smashed Dio's skull, brain matter splattering.
Dio's thoughts suddenly became chaotic, brain memory, hallucinations, and reality, the three overlapping together.
Under the powerful survival instinct, he instinctively activated time stop.
But Ryosuke could still move.
Ryosuke maintained the posture of gripping Dio's throat, right fist once again clenched, calm and slightly longing eyes looking at Dio.
Dio, who had eaten small bread for a lifetime, was far too clear on the meaning of that look.
"You… you want to eat me?!"
A mere human, actually daring to reveal "appetite" toward him… Wait, the one in front of him, is he really human?
Undying, immortal recovery ability. Ever-changing transformative ability.
Even…
Within stopped time, still possessing the ability to throw a punch.
Rather than saying "human," the one in front of him was more like a "monster" even more pure than himself.
Ryosuke's second punch came.
Dio, relying on the last of his instinct, raised both arms to block, only to hear two cracks, both arms breaking, a fist piercing through flesh and bone, momentum not reduced, heavily smashing onto Dio's already shattered head.
Dio's body uncontrollably fell, spinning 180 degrees in midair, smashed into the ground by Ryosuke's punch.
BOOM!
The asphalt road surface collapsed, lines of fine cracks appearing, spreading outward like a spider web.
Ryosuke ceased action.
Dio had only one eyeball left, half a skull gone, wrapped in ice, only then not immediately dying.
But he was only a hair's breadth away from death.
When time stop ended, he would die.
"The… World…"
Dio murmured to call.
The golden World appeared, armor across its whole body showing lines of cracks.
Dio's weakness was likewise reflected upon it.
It grabbed Dio, slung him over its shoulder.
Time stop countdown, 3 seconds.
The World, using the last of its strength, javelin-threw Dio, drawing an arc through the air, falling into the crowd.
This group of people was surrounding Joseph's corpse, faces showing terror.
Countdown, 2 seconds.
Dio crawled beside Joseph, right hand piercing into Old Joseph's throat.
Countdown, 1 second.
Dio slowly stood up.
The injured body healed, the shattered skull regrew, and there was a continuous stream of power surging from his body.
"As expected, Joestar's blood is the most incomparably delicious."
Countdown, 0 seconds.
The onlookers, seeing Dio suddenly appear, screamed in fright, and the next second, Dio's hands swept across, and everyone became corpses.
People's fresh blood flowed, spreading over Dio's boots.
He lowered his head to look at the blood, then raised his head to look at the charging Ryosuke, and within his cold expression suddenly appeared a smile.
"I know how to defeat you, this immortal 'monster.'"
Dio leapt into the sky, rapidly leaping between buildings. Ryosuke closely followed.
Both of their speeds were extremely fast; in the blink of an eye they arrived at the center of Cairo.
It was now only about eight or nine o'clock in the evening; Cairo, as a historic tourist city, had a city center area with many tourists and locals.
Dio laughed wildly, leaping into the crowd, shouting toward the rushing Ryosuke,
"To defeat a monster requires the effort of a 'hero,' and naturally also requires the contribution of every 'civilian.'"
While speaking, his right eye crimson, he once again used "Space Ripper Stingy Eyes," sweeping in a circle, hundreds of people cut in half at the waist, thudding onto the ground.
In an instant, blood flowed like a river, wailing everywhere.
Dio took off his shoes, threw them aside, barefoot stepping in the pool of blood, absorbing life force.
"Now… it's fair."
Ryosuke lightly landed, stepping into the blood pool.
"Hmm?"
Dio found that Ryosuke did not attack, didn't even look at him.
Ryosuke quietly looked at the ground full of severed limbs.
They were still alive, enduring the pain of being cut in half; among the people were young, old, children; Ryosuke even saw quite a few tourists, yellow-skinned, black-eyed, speaking the familiar language of his homeland.
Ryosuke closed his eyes, deeply inhaled, 'I was treating this as a trial.'
"If I win, I would be naturally happy. If I lose, I die, I also admit I am inferior, that you are more skilled, at most come again next time."
Anyway, death, for Ryosuke, was only the loss of one dimensional-upgrade star core; he could retreat completely.
Because it was considered a trial, a contest. Ryosuke, when fighting Dio, had always treated it with a calm heart; no matter how sinister or cunning the opponent's moves, Ryosuke could respond calmly.
That was part of the trial.
Ryosuke looked at the bloody scene. He told himself, these were all NPCs, fictional characters.
But…
"Dio Brando."
Ryosuke extended his right hand; blood flowed backward, under Hamon control gathering into a blood-colored Ruin Greatsword. He coldly stared at Dio, "From here on, it's no longer a trial."
The sudden full name, and the power contained within Ryosuke's gaze, made Dio's smile freeze for half a second; what followed was fury.
'What are you so arrogant about!'
'I am the strongest Stand User; The World is the strongest Stand!'
The two once again rushed at each other; blood splattered wildly, and between the collisions of Star Platinum and The World's fists and kicks, the sound waves shattered glass within hundreds of meters.
"Stop! Time!"
Dio single-handedly lifted a car, threw it toward Ryosuke.
Ryosuke cut it in half with one blade, Star Platinum bursting through the broken vehicle, one punch sending The World flying.
After one blade and one punch, Ryosuke and Star Platinum froze in place.
But The World did not dare approach Ryosuke rashly; fearing another sneak attack, it simply grabbed a truck, heavily smashing it into Ryosuke's chest.
"Six seconds, seven seconds…"
Dio laughed wildly, "The power is still surging up! Let me see, what my limit is!"
Nine seconds, time stop ended.
Dio thought Ryosuke would be sent flying, but he only stepped back half a step, right foot stomping on the ground, forcefully absorbing all the impact, only to increase battle frequency, once again rushing toward Dio.
The two fought across Cairo city; one building after another, one vehicle after another, in their hands became the most terrifying weapons.
Dio gasped for breath.
'Fast!'
'Too fast!'
He dared not approach Ryosuke casually; the two punches earlier had almost killed Dio.
But nine seconds was too short, not enough to kill the immortal monster before him.
Even…
At some point, Dio realized he activated time stop not to attack, but to get a moment's rest, to let his broken body recover.
Ryosuke indeed did not, like Jotaro, awaken during battle to gradually break Star Platinum's limit, gaining two seconds, three seconds of time stop.
His body was strong, his spirit tenacious.
But there are no two identical leaves in the world; Ryosuke's strength and Jotaro's strength ultimately had some differences.
Ryosuke still could only move for "one instant."
But he had his own method.
That was to compress Dio's usage frequency of time stop.
When time stop could only be used to breathe, rest, and could not even restore the body, then what difference is there between one second of stopped time and nine seconds of stopped time?
Exhausted in battle, Dio caught sight of, not far away, a line of cars refueling, and beside them a tanker truck.
After intense fighting, and having his head blown apart, his muddled brain suddenly became clear.
"This is it!"
Dio spread his arms, "Ryosuke, the wind of victory is blowing from behind me! In the end, at the very end, who is the one to be defeated, will soon be revealed!"
"Za.... Warudo!"
The world turned gray-white.
One second passed.
Two seconds passed.
Three seconds passed.
"Give me…"
Carrying the tanker truck, Dio appeared; in his excitement, his eyes were blood-red, having long forgotten the idea of drinking blood to seize strength.
He only wanted to kill Ryosuke.
In this world, one immortal monster like him was enough.
"Go to hell!"
The tanker truck heavily smashed into Ryosuke's body; under the massive impact, it smashed into the nearby gas station.
"Muda muda muda muda muda muda muda!"
Dio was like a madman.
Four seconds passed.
Five seconds passed.
Six seconds passed.
"Wryyyyy!!!!"
The madness on Dio's face suddenly vanished; he leapt up, calmly and elegantly walking to a man refueling a parked car, taking a lighter from the man's pocket.
Seven seconds passed.
Click!
A flame appeared.
Dio threw the lighter down onto the smashed tanker truck.
Eight seconds passed.
Dio raised his chin, proudly speaking in a low voice, "Vanish with the flames, monster that was long ago eliminated by history."
Nine seconds passed.
He took a step, about to leave.
Dio's body stiffened in place.
"Did I let you go? Your nine seconds have passed, my one instant… has not yet passed!"
Ryosuke could only stop time for "one instant."
But many times...
One instant, is enough.
A fuel-hose rope swung out, wrapping around Dio's right leg; Ryosuke violently yanked backward, Dio's body uncontrollably flying toward Ryosuke, toward the center of the explosion.
Dio wanted to break free, but could not move at all; he roared madly, "Are you insane!"
"Since you have 'one instant,' why not use it to escape!"
Ryosuke seemed not to hear Dio's roar; pushing aside the shattered tanker truck, letting the gasoline pour over like a bath, he beckoned toward Dio, "Come!"
"Let's see, between the two of us, whose life…"
"Is tougher!"
One instant ended, time began to flow.
The explosion's flames soared into the sky.
The shockwave smashed into Dio's chest; he originally intended to use this force to escape, but felt pain in his scapula. Looking down, he saw a flaming hand deeply pierced into his body.
One hand?
Then where was the other hand?
Of course it was used to punch him.
Dio suddenly looked up.
Meeting the gaze of Ryosuke, whose entire body was engulfed in blazing flames.
The firelight reflected in his eyes, as if igniting a blazing sun.
Star Platinum appeared behind Ryosuke.
One man, one Stand, identical movement, fists swinging down toward Dio.
"The World! The World! The World!!!"
The golden Stand appeared.
But just having ended time stop, it could not immediately activate again; it could only raise a leg to block.
Star Platinum's fist smashed into The World's leg, shattering its defense; Ryosuke followed right after, fist striking Dio's head.
Crack!
The World and Dio shattered together, falling into the blazing flames.
Dio Brando... could not rise again.
[Star Platinum Trial Stage completed]
[Unlocked, Star Platinum: The World.]
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