Jotaro and Dio drew nearer with every step.
A simple action, yet to everyone watching it carried crushing weight.
Yes, for all their words, both wanted the other dead.
What the viewers waited for now was this world's combat system.
The previous four had each shown their world's unique style; what power would appear here?
"ora!"
Without a word from Jotaro, a purple humanoid figure materialized and punched at Dio.
Out of thin air—just like that.
Instantly a yellow humanoid flashed into existence, striking at the purple one's leg.
It halted the blow.
Bang—!!!
A dull impact; Jotaro's pants ripped and a gash opened on his leg.
Viewers across worlds gasped—why had Jotaro been hurt when the purple figure took the hit?
"Too slow, too slow," Dio gloated. "The World is the strongest Stand. Even without stopping time, its speed and power outclass your Star Platinum."
Outside the video, in the JoJo World—
"What?!! No-no-no-no way!!!!!"
Polnareff's eyes bulged; the words hit him like lightning. He never expected the video-Dio to reveal his ability so casually.
"If that's true, then Dio showing up by my 'corpse' makes sense," Joseph Joestar muttered with a nod.
He'd sensed something off while watching.
Why had Dio appeared right in front of him, flinging knives from the start?
Time had stopped; Dio walked up and hurled the blades.
"An evil beyond belief," Avdol said, cold sweat dripping. He could picture their confident march into Dio's Egypt—
—only to die because they hadn't known his power.
Not appearing in the footage, Avdol already guessed his fate, yet he felt no regret.
Nor did Kakyoin Noriaki; Dio had just said he'd "taken care of him."
Likely his own death had supplied the Joestar group with the clue to crack Dio's Stand.
None present were fools; even without earlier scenes they pieced it together from Dio's lines.
Kakyoin had fought alongside Joseph Joestar.
Kakyoin died; Joseph met Jotaro and immediately told him the secret of Dio's Stand.
He urged Jotaro to flee and keep away—because with that ability, Dio was nearly invincible.
Jotaro said nothing, his face calm. Watching his video self, he searched for a way to break the deadlock and keep his friends alive.
Whether it's Kakyoin, the old man, or Avdol, he doesn't want to abandon any of them.
Egypt, inside the villa where Dio resides.
"What?!"
Watching himself expose The World's ability in the video, Dio's expression turns extremely ugly.
Because he knows that not only does he possess the multiverse projection, but so do his underlings and Joseph Joestar's travel group.
Which means—his Stand ability has been revealed?!
Before the battle even starts, the trump-card Stand he planned to keep hidden is already exposed?
"Heh heh heh heh heh."
Soon, however, Dio sneers. Staring at himself on the screen, he says indifferently, "So what if my Stand ability is exposed?"
"With the power to stop time, I am the absolute sovereign. No one can resist this force."
Exactly—so what if it's exposed? In the video he had already wiped out Joseph Joestar's group.
Only Jotaro is left, and in the video he's just about to kill him. So it makes no difference!
On the contrary, this might instill absolute terror in Jonathan's descendants—would they still dare to come?
Dio chuckles coldly in the room, as though he can already see the terrified faces of Joseph's group.
Inside the video.
Jotaro looks at The World beside Dio and says slowly, "Looks like the same type of Stand as my Star Platinum—limited range, but powerful and precise."
Dio doesn't even glance at Jotaro. "I'd love to test how much stronger The World is than your Stand, though I already know."
"So your idea of a test is gently stroking your opponent without leaving a scratch?" Jotaro sneers. "Pity about my twenty-thousand-yen pants."
"…" Dio lifts his gaze. "Why is the Joestar family always so unwilling to admit defeat?"
"Ha! Then I'll accept your boring challenge and play a little longer."
The moment the words leave his mouth, the yellow figure appears in front of Dio again; everyone already knows its name.
It is called The World, while Jotaro's purple humanoid is called Star Platinum.
"Hmph! Ahh!"
The World and Star Platinum engage in hand-to-hand combat.
The World strikes first, swinging a fist at Star Platinum, but it's blocked.
Star Platinum kicks, casually destroying a circular road sign nearby.
The World leaps into the air, its fist turning into a knife-hand strike aimed at Star Platinum.
Bang—!!
With a crisp sound, Star Platinum blocks with its arm and counters with a swift punch.
"ora!"
The first strike is dodged by The World.
"ora!"
The second attack grazes The World's cheek.
A matching cut appears on Dio's face.
Viewers from different worlds finally realize: though Stands are mighty, any damage the Stand suffers is mirrored on its user.
"ora ora ora ora!!"
Advantage seized, Star Platinum presses the attack, but every blow is parried by The World.
"Heh heh heh." Dio wipes the blood from his face; the wound vanishes. Smirking at Jotaro, he says, "Shall we compare flurries?"
"Muda muda muda muda muda—!!!"
"ora ora ora ora ora—!!!"
Star Platinum and The World exchange rapid-fire blows, their arms turning to blur.
The view shifts to Dio's smiling face, then to Jotaro's resolute expression.
The image freezes for an instant!
...
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