With the arrival of the infinite diaper supply, the Kent household had finally settled back into peace.
But…
In the mottled shadows of the barn…
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The air echoed with heavy, rhythmic thuds, like war drums pounding.
Today, of all days, a long-overdue, hot-blooded brawl had kicked off.
"Muda! Muda! Muda!"
Controlling The World's towering, armored figure, Dio unleashed a barrage of golden fists, a relentless meteor shower hammering Clark's broad, solid back.
Each punch carried enough force to shatter stone!
Boom!
A muffled impact rang out.
Clark didn't even flinch, just slightly adjusted his stance.
"Dio… haha…" Clark let out an awkward chuckle, his tone a mix of helplessness and ease. "How about… we call it a day?"
"It's just giving Sarafiel a bath, right? I can handle it."
"…"
A vein pulsed on Dio's forehead.
This guy…
That infuriating, patronizing, gentle tone! That pitying offer!
A wave of cold frustration crashed over Dio.
Once upon a time, his full-force punches could at least make Clark wince and yelp in pain. But now…
This pathetic, powerless feeling was the ultimate insult to his pride!
It was like slaving over summer homework all break, only for the teacher to say it wouldn't be checked!
Utterly ridiculous!
Boom!
Another full-power punch slammed down, but against Clark's body, it was like tossing a pebble into the ocean.
The massive recoil even traveled back through The World, leaving Dio's wrists tingling with numbness.
"Dio, I'm tired."
Clark casually threw an elbow.
BOOM!
A bio-force field wrapped in immense power slammed into The World's chest.
"?!"
"The World!"
"Damn it…"
"This guy's gotten stronger again!" Dio cursed under his breath, clutching his chest as he scrambled up from the ground, using time-stop to cover his clumsy recovery.
Buzz!
Time resumed flowing.
"Huh?"
Clark scratched his head, looking at his brother striking a pose like nothing happened. "Dio, didn't I just hit The World?"
He could've sworn he landed that one.
"…"
"Jerk!"
Dio, barely containing his irritation, recalled his Stand with a snap.
The towering golden figure vanished like a phantom, only to instantly re-form behind him.
Why was this happening?
His crimson eyes burned with defiance.
Clark could get his butt whooped by Dad's Star Platinum and cry out in pain!
But him…
His gaze instinctively flicked to The World—
Its sharp, classical-statue-like arms, its fortress-like chest…
The sheer power and intimidation were no less than Star Platinum's!
There was nothing wrong with the Stand itself!
So…
Was it really because he was too young, his mental strength not yet strong enough?
Damn it.
The thought made Dio grind his teeth so hard they creaked.
Was today…
Really the day he'd have to swallow his pride and accept reality, forced to bathe that troublesome little—
Wait?!
Dio's pupils shrank, his gaze locking onto something behind The World's right shoulder—
A tiny green stone embedded there.
It was from that meteor incident two years ago. Come to think of it, he'd never really figured out what it did beyond looking like a cool tattoo.
But in this moment of crushing frustration, a wild, almost absurd idea struck him like a bolt of lightning in the dark!
Clark…
Wasn't he scared of green rocks?
Could this tiny green stone be…
Dio's heart pounded uncontrollably, a dangerous and tantalizing idea whispering to him like a devil.
No—his supreme intellect!
His genius was guiding him, telling him this little green stone held… gravity!
"What if I focused my mental energy… not like a magnifying glass with sunlight, but like the most precise laser beam, channeling it all into this damn 'stone'?"
His eyes snapped from The World's shoulder to Clark, standing casually in the distance.
Clark even gave him a half-soothing shrug.
"Hmph."
"You don't even know what's coming, do you?"
"My foolish brother, Clark."
A slow, sly grin curled Dio's lips.
Focus!
Taking a deep breath, Dio forced all distractions from his mind.
His winter break training paid off, letting him effortlessly condense, compress, and hyper-compress his mental energy!
His invisible mental force was no longer just a "hand" controlling his Stand—it transformed into countless threads, finer and tougher than spider silk, wrapping, piercing, and pouring furiously into the tiny green stone on The World's right shoulder!
Buzz!
In an instant, Dio felt a strange tremor in his connection to his Stand!
The long-dormant stone, like a volcano injected with a soul, suddenly emitted a faint, almost invisible, yet deadly greenish glow!
The light didn't spread outward but seeped inward like poison, coating The World's fist.
He…
The way he controlled The World felt subtly, fundamentally different!
The Stand's fist was no longer just a vessel for mental energy—it was now cloaked in an invisible, chillingly sharp 'edge.'
"?!"
Clark's brows furrowed, a question mark practically appearing on his face.
Something was off.
His senses seemed to hit a weird blind spot.
He could clearly sense The World's transparent outline with his bio-field, but…
Its arms and fists, which should've been crystal clear, were now blurry, hard to pin down!
Like they were shrouded in a distorted, ominous energy field!
"Clark!"
"Muda!"
Dio's eyes blazed red with suppressed excitement as he let out a low shout!
The World vanished, then reappeared behind Clark in an instant!
This time, its attack wasn't a wild, brute-force barrage but carried a piercing, lethal intent!
The golden fist, cloaked in that invisible green energy, was like a poisoned dagger!
It tore through the air, striking at a tricky angle, landing precisely on a pressure point just below Clark's shoulder blade!
Thud!
A sound unlike any before, laced with a tearing edge, rang out!
"Argh—!"
Clark's shocked cry of pain erupted, filled with disbelief and searing agony!
For the first time, his steel-like body lost balance under Dio's attack!
A crippling weakness, like it could rip his soul apart, spread wildly from the point of impact, drilling into his very core!
It was as if countless icy, venomous needles had pierced his defenses, stabbing straight into his life force!
His sturdy frame lurched forward, stumbling a step before barely steadying. The easygoing look on his face was gone, replaced by shock and a trace of undeniable pain.
He whipped around, his blue eyes reflecting the transparent Stand behind Dio.
They were filled with unprecedented disbelief and…
A touch of confusion.
"Dio, what did you do?!"
"Weakling Clark, hmph, today you'll be the one bathing Sarafiel."
"Remember, this isn't you doing me a favor—it's a victory I, Dio, earned myself!"
"Hahahahaha! Saikou ni High Teyazuda~! Hahahahaha!"
Clutching his shoulder, Clark stared ahead.
His usually stone-cold brother was spouting bizarre phrases.
"…"
This was not the usual Dio!
Was this guy… possessed or something?!