"Then allow me—DIO—to be your opponent."
DIO let out a soft chuckle, clearly unbothered by Borsalino's apparent defiance.
He had encountered plenty of promising talents like this in the past. All it took was for him, DIO, to display his true power. Once the other party was utterly convinced, loyalty would follow naturally.
And those who had witnessed his true strength tended to become even more devoted—just like Vanilla Ice.
"Three percent? Five percent? …Forget it, let's start with one percent."
Borsalino lifted his hand, making a few casual gestures before finally raising a single finger toward DIO.
BOOM!
In less than a blink, Borsalino vanished from where he stood and reappeared right in front of DIO.
DIO was blasted straight down the corridor, his body slammed into the far wall in a spread-eagle position, embedded deep within it.
From start to finish, only the tip of Borsalino's raised index finger had touched him.
Unbelievable speed.
Overwhelming, absolute power.
Even DIO—who possessed the ability to stop time—failed to react at the instant of impact.
At the same time, violent tremors and explosions echoed from the lower levels of the mansion. No doubt about it—Jotaro and the others had run into Vanilla Ice.
Most of the time, once a Stand's ability was exposed, defeat soon followed.
But there were always exceptions—Stands so absurdly powerful that even knowing their abilities made countering them incredibly difficult.
Vanilla Ice's Cream, and DIO's The World, were prime examples. Only by forcing them to reveal a flaw could one hope to defeat them.
Of course—when faced with crushing power like Borsalino's, the specifics of a Stand's ability stopped mattering altogether.
"Za… Warudo!"
Embedded in the wall, DIO lifted his head, his expression dark as he activated his Stand and froze time itself.
As a vampire, DIO possessed eternal youth and regeneration. No matter how severe the injury, he could recover.
Even so, he had to admit—
He had underestimated this unknown opponent.
DIO stepped out of the crater in the wall, landing lightly on the floor. He bounced in place once or twice, then glanced down at his chest. The wound pierced by Borsalino's finger was already healing at an alarming rate.
After a single glance, he dismissed it.
Counting down the remaining duration of stopped time in his mind, DIO moved forward with silent, almost feline steps, stopping in front of the young man who had dared reject him.
Frozen in time, Borsalino wore a faint, ambiguous smile.
After observing him for a moment, DIO mimicked his earlier gesture—raising his own index finger and gently placing it against Borsalino's chest.
Three.
Two.
One.
The moment time resumed, DIO unleashed his strength, intending to return that very same blow.
"In the world where time stands still, only I—DIO—"
He didn't finish the sentence.
The arrogant expression on his face instantly twisted into shock.
A full-power strike from DIO could shatter a four-centimeter-thick steel plate.
Even if using only a finger prevented him from reaching maximum destructive force, killing any ordinary person would have been effortless.
Yet—
The instant his finger struck Borsalino's chest, it rang out like metal colliding with metal.
CLANG!
It felt as though he had stabbed his finger into a solid block of steel.
No—
Something far, far harder than steel.
"That was pretty dangerous… I was almost killed there."
Borsalino glanced indifferently at the finger pressed against his chest, showing no surprise whatsoever at DIO's sudden appearance.
"…You're not normal."
DIO fell silent for a brief moment before abruptly leaping backward, widening the distance between them. His face darkened.
Countless thoughts raced through his mind.
From the moment the Stardust Crusaders stormed the mansion, every single action Borsalino had taken replayed over and over in DIO's head.
DIO was not some mindless villain who relied solely on brute force or Stand abilities.
Even back when he was human, he had possessed exceptional learning ability, extraordinary creativity, and terrifying adaptability.
"Not attacking again?"
Borsalino glanced toward the collapsed ruins below.
Despite Vanilla Ice's strength and terrifying Stand, facing the combined assault of the Stardust Crusaders—especially with his ability already exposed—he was clearly being pushed back on all fronts.
If they weren't deliberately avoiding unnecessary risks, the fight would likely already be over.
"If he falls here, it simply means he was never worth much to begin with."
DIO spoke coldly.
He might grant eternal life to loyal servants like Vanilla Ice, but he would never make meaningless sacrifices for a subordinate who failed.
Only victors were qualified to walk at his side.
Besides, now that Vanilla Ice had become a vampire, he wasn't that easy to kill anyway.
At the very least, DIO was confident he could deal with this troublesome opponent before Vanilla Ice was defeated.
Yes—
A troublesome opponent.
Borsalino's displayed power had genuinely shocked him, but DIO still held absolute confidence in his own supremacy.
Within the world of stopped time, no one could oppose him.
"How heartless. Discarding subordinates the moment they lose their usefulness."
Borsalino shook his head, feigning disappointment.
Truly fitting of an emperor of evil—treating his followers as nothing more than expendable resources.
"Only through constant victory does one earn the right to follow me, DIO!"
DIO snorted. The weak had no value in living. Anyone who couldn't accept that truth would inevitably fall behind—no matter how strong they were.
With that thought, he completely abandoned the idea of recruiting Borsalino.
Someone incapable of understanding his greatness was unworthy of standing beside him.
"Heh…"
Borsalino calmly raised a second finger.
This time, DIO—having barely managed to react—activated his Stand without the slightest hesitation.
"Za… Warudo!"
Time froze once more.
But even then, DIO was just a fraction too slow.
At the very instant time stopped, Borsalino had already appeared directly in front of him again.
BOOM!
Despite the frozen world, DIO was once again blasted down the corridor.
Same position.
Same angle.
But this time, the force behind the blow had doubled.
Even the reinforced wall couldn't withstand it—shattering as DIO smashed straight through, leaving behind a massive, gaping hole.
Advance Chapters available on Patreon
patreon.com/NightScript