"!!!"
Seeing the knives in Dio's hands and at his waist, Jotaro's face visibly changed.
It wasn't just him; people in other worlds also looked shocked.
After all, the characters in this highlight video seemed almost too cautious and meticulous.
Unlike the previous highlight reels, Dio and Jotaro were exceptionally brilliant.
Neither side held back or underestimated the other; they did everything to kill, giving not the slightest opening.
Such a fight had countless viewers cheering.
Whether it was Jotaro's ploy to lure Dio into careless proximity,
or Dio maintaining absolute caution despite his advantage,
the comments below the video were buzzing.
Kibutsuji Muzan: "@Gilgamesh, see that? If you'd been half as careful as this guy Dio, you might've won."
Kibutsuji Muzan: "Pity~ your arrogance got you chopped into mincemeat [picture]."
Gilgamesh: "Scum! It seems you've grown tired of living. You've provoked this king one too many times—now you'll pay with your life!"
Watching Gilgamesh's impotent fury, Kibutsuji Muzan blossomed into radiant laughter. She was plainly delighted, though she did eye the figure of Dio in the video with some surprise.
The man appeared to be a 'demon' as well; his legs had been severed, yet he'd regenerated by drinking blood.
He even commanded the power to 'stop time'. If she ever fought him…
She'd probably be killed in an instant the moment they met.
A flicker of dread crossed Muzan's eyes. Ever since these tallying videos had begun, she realized—aside from the first one featuring Tanjiro—
She couldn't defeat a single other opponent shown.
The thought stirred an inexplicable irritation within her; besides hunting the Blue Spider Lily, she would have to strengthen herself.
If the next time she appeared in a tallying video it showed her massacring ordinary humans… or, worse, that night's events—
Gilgamesh would mock her to death.
The idea darkened Muzan's expression, yet she kept ridiculing Gilgamesh,
as though she'd sworn to oppose him.
Inside the video:
"Your face has gone white. Seeing these flying knives, you already foresee a fate worse than addled old Joseph's."
Dio smiled—a terrifying grin—and the blades in his hand glinted coldly,
foreshadowing the horror about to unfold.
'Damn it, this scheme of his is insane—this is bad!'
Without a word Jotaro summoned Star Platinum and vaulted high into the air.
"Ha! You can't escape! THE WORLD!"
BZZZT—!!
In the next instant, centered on Dio, the picture turned monochrome. He himself leapt up, hovering mid-air.
"Five seconds remaining!"
THE WORLD produced countless knives and hurled them at Jotaro; in a heartbeat a storm of blades ringed him.
The sight sent a shiver through anyone watching.
Delighted, Dio declared, "When time resumes, even your mighty Star Platinum—can it swat away so many knives?"
"Four seconds remaining!"
THE WORLD kept throwing.
"Ahahahaha!" Dio laughed. "Being able to see yet unable to move—now that's true terror, isn't it, Jotaro?"
"Three seconds remaining!"
This time Dio himself flung the knives.
But the instant he released them Jotaro regained motion; Star Platinum's fists began to fly.
It lasted only a moment—yet enough to scatter most of the blades ahead of him.
After smashing the majority, Jotaro shifted his gaze toward Dio, as if to say: still not coming?
"Only two seconds left; is that brief twitch all you can manage?"
Chuckling, Dio raised two fingers and drifted backward, perching on what looked like a chimney. Rather than attack, he mused, "So it's proven—you can move for but an instant."
"One second remaining."
At Dio's words every viewer's pulse quickened.
Trapped in that frozen moment, they all imagined themselves in Jotaro's place and wondered what they would do.
Save for a handful confident in their own power, most felt only panic.
The Demon Slayer World's group, for instance—
"H-how do you dodge that?!!!" Agatsuma Zenitsu yelled, feeling as if he stood where Jotaro did; surrounded by those knives,
he'd become a pincushion—no, a dead pincushion—within a second.
"No way to dodge," Rengoku Kyojuro said, firm-voiced. "Even I couldn't swing my blade fast enough to parry so many at once."
Had the knives been thrown during open combat, he trusted he could cut them all down.
But now they hovered centimeters from Jotaro, ready to sink in from every direction the instant time resumed.
In such a bind, Rengoku knew, he would be lucky to survive even grievously wounded.
…
Inosuke said nothing; the sight cooled his usual fire, for against an attack like this
no amount of muscle could secure victory.
Yet his body trembled—with excitement.
Too strong! If he could learn this power he'd be invincible!
Learn it—he had to! This thing called a Stand—he would obtain it!
And that Incursio armor—he wanted that too!
Combine the two and he'd rule the world!
FWOOSH—!!!
Steam burst from Inosuke's nostrils, proof of his exhilaration.
Back inside the video:
"Zero." Dio lowered his final finger; the suspended knives sprang forward to strike.
"ORAORAORAORA—!!"
Star Platinum was free again, lashing out at the blades.
Yet, as Dio had said, even Star Platinum couldn't swat them all aside; several knives found their mark.
Blood spurted from Jotaro.
Still dissatisfied, Dio coolly added, "One more to be sure."
THE WORLD flung a final knife toward him.
Star Platinum waved a hand to block, intercepting the flying knife, yet the blade still struck Jotaro square in the forehead.
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