Capitolo Primo: Giovinezza (18)

The world went still, with my breathing starting to pick up before the worst case scenario.

Orange eyes clashed with brazen gold as I found myself glaring at the smug monstrosity standing atop that balcony.

“W-What is going on?!” Jonathan was the first one from the shocking development, his blue eyes widening in clear panic as we all tried to make sense of this escalation.

It couldn’t be a clone born from Magic. The impressive precision and speed in using knives, and the cunning used to get Hannah…

These couldn’t be replicated by a mere copy. This- This wasn’t something that I had expected, nor I had anything in mind that could properly work against this version of the villain.

Part 3 DIO was severely dependent on his Stand, especially when most of his vampiric abilities were unavailable because of Jonathan’s body. But this one?

Even without a Stand, Dio was a serious threat that got so close to kill Jojo during their ‘final’ fight. The battle was dangerous, and many perished to reveal the monster’s abilities. One in particular jumped to my mind, Dio’s capacity to drain warmth from around his body and outright freeze anything nearby himself.

It was a deadly ability that overwhelmed hamon, and the only way to counter it was fire.

An element that wasn’t present in the brazier around the balcony like it had been in the original timeline. Very suspicious that this was a thing.

“Look at you all cowing against fate itself. Mongrels that barely can stand on their on feet before the might of me, Dio-”

“As if I would accept a mockery of myself,” I rebutted fiercely, unwilling to allow this buffoon to keep on with this situation. “Let me ask, who brought you here?”

“Rude,” The man rebuked tiredly. “But rightfully frightened at the prospect of being utterly destroyed. I can already tell from your shivering that this isn’t a battle you wish to fight.”

“I’m bleeding-”

“The knife sealed off the wound for now, once removed then you will start bleeding,” Dio retorted flatly. “But I admire your incapacity to accept defeat in a conversation. It makes things more exciting since I wish to know how you handled things without the mask.”

“I’m not like you, counterfeit.”

“And I’m glad that’s the case. Imagine people confusing you for someone worthy of my stature,” He remarked dryly. “I’m not someone that delays in praise when due, but I will never accept the fact that you so believe to be the original one.”

“And yet look at you, needing to have a literal high ground to make up for the lack of a moral one.”

“When did morality matter to the two of us,” The older blond pointed out. “We are spirits of another era. The harbinger of a new era.”

He stretched his hand towards me.

“What? Now you want to recruit me in your despicable and losing faction? Are you so mad and inhuman to besmirch my pride so eagerly.”

“Spare me the insults, fool. You should be glad that I find potential in what you represent and are,” Dio pressed on. “I don’t wish to spill unnecessary blood, not when I can see the chance of having someone worthy of being my friend.”

…

“What are you-”

“Someone to trust with my mind and soul, with my thoughts and the few feeble worries that surround my brain,” He interjected calmly. “I wish for a real friend, not a zealot like Pucci.”

How does he know about-

“You met him,” I accused him without hesitation. “It was Pucci, the damn priest is behind-”

“Most of it. But not enough to create trouble for you,” The older alter ego admitted. “In fact, you are looking to the one that set you against Jack the Ripper and Wang Chan against you.”

I turned to the still-smiling magician, just now noticing the vacant look in his eyes.

This Wang Chan… he was no longer master of his body. How long have I been fighting a meat puppet controlled through Dio’s fleshbud?

“I was surprised when I was first sent there after enjoying my victory against Jonathan,” Dio explained with a fascinated tone. “I was bewildered by the imposition of a task from someone that has defined himself to be a friend to DIO, but easily threw me to face someone that I wouldn’t have ever dreamed to fight against.”

He opened his arms wide and an amused smile flashed deviously on his face.

“A Dio that refused instant greatness for this facade of good. A disgusting yet morbidly curious sight that even now leaves me baffled,” He proclaimed with a dry voice. “You can’t expect me to seriously believe that you wish to be good when you yourself know that nothing can be done by being a good person.”

I shook my head. “I still can't believe you can’t see how wrong you are. Even winning against your enemies leaves you as ignorant as you were when you first saw that mask.”

He tensed up, a surprised look briefly flashing before a snarl replaced his smug expression.

“You really think that you can come here and lecture me about morality? What do you know of-”

“What would mother think of what you’ve become?”

“She died for me to become divine, not for me to live a simple existence!”

I frowned at this exclamation, feeling my anger bubble as I could still remember the content of the letter she left for us. For Dio.

To be great, but to be a good person. To be an example, a role model to follow.

Gritting my teeth, he barely looked fazed by my fury and before I had the chance of speaking once again, I found my attention taken elsewhere.

“D-Dio, what is going on? Why is that man so similar to you and… how do you know him?”

Jonathan was making all the good questions, and I knew that at this point I needed to provide some truth if I wanted to keep the group united and unbreakable.

“Jojo, Bhediya, I wish for you both to listen to me as I will not have the means to repeat this explanation without delaying the fact we need to attack,” I said, waiting for the boys to nod before resuming my speech. “Imagine that our lives to this very point are all written down inside a book. All events, both good and bad, with ink upon the white paper. Now, think about a book that is similar to ours, but instead of some crucial events that defined us as individuals, other decisions were taken and things were different.”

“You mean like… like if I never met you two?” Bhediya suggested and I quickly nodded.

“Yes. That is an example and… now imagine a book similar to ours where… I, Dio, decided to not get close to the Joestar and allow myself to wallow in misery,” I continued with a tense voice. “Where I only seek individual power and wealth to achieve the highest role of society, all the while trying to harm Jonathan to allow me to become the Joestar’s heir.”

“Y-You wouldn’t. I know that you wouldn’t.”

“I wouldn’t,” I agreed with a calm smile at Jonathan’s fierce refusal, then I turned back at the once more smug Dio. “But he would. And he did. He tried and eventually craved power at all cost. The mask, the one that turns people in vampires, was the quickest way to achieve that.”

“That Dio- he- did he kill our father?” Jojo asked.

“So you consider George a father too?” Dio interrupted dryly. “What a disgraceful fall, this is even worse than I had expected.”

“He did. It was the sacrifice he needed to fuel the mask’s dangerous power,” I resumed without giving too much weight at my older alter ego. “And then you went to fight him once he came here in Windknight’s Lot to end his madness...”

“And I lost,” The young Joestar concluded for me with a quiet voice, and I found myself nodding.

This wasn’t the worst but… I knew how to win this brawl.

“B-but how do you know this?” The werewolf inquired and I nodded to him.

“Let’s just say that it is all thanks to the one man responsible for meddling with the books. To try and change reality to create the best one possible,” I explained with a serious tone. “And now I know much of what could’ve been and… what I could’ve become.”

There was silence after that, and I knew that I had finally sated their curiosity. It was time to return our attention to Dio.

“But we will not lose today,” I remarked determinedly. “In fact, I can already say that you have already failed to achieve a victory out of this because of a flaw we both have.”

Dio’s golden eyes narrowed at me as he listened to my declaration.

“Truly? And that is, you foolish brat?”

I smirked. “We both love the sound of our voices, and we tend to ignore quiet noises while we’re speaking.”

The comment made no sense to anyone in my proximity and Wang Chan, but Dio seemed to catch on what I was talking about when his eyes widened and he stared up.

The silent hiss coming from the rotating bubble that had slowly moved to hover above his head came to an end as he noticed it.

Hamon exploded and rained upon Dio through the water drops created by the large bubble bursting mid-air.

Electricity-like energy coursed in his body, forcing him to shriek and back away from the balcony at the sudden pain that was now consuming his attention.

Sadly, the amount of hamon in the water was incredibly diluted and it wasn’t enough to kill the vampire like I would’ve loved to see.

Yet this was an aftermath I had predicted and the act was none other than a ruse to keep the vampire distracted.

｢ACT 1｣ shot me up in the air, sending me soaring well above the balcony and… I soon dive bombed towards the snarling Dio.

“You insufferable bastard!”

I rushed quickly and without hesitation, my legs moving in preparation as I started to do a split the closer I got to my target.

My enemy started to cackle, seemingly ready to tank on the attack without any restraint.

“This move- I’ve already proved how pathetic it is! But sure, come here and perish like nothin-gah!!”

My ripple-infused legs slammed down on Dio’s elbows, tearing his arms apart in the process and leaving him unable to defend himself from the punch I had cocked up in the meantime.

“You’re right, it wouldn’t have worked. But this is something different, I call it Thunder Punch Slash Assault.”

The defensive capability of Dire’s strongest technique ditched to enchant the offensive might of the ability itself.

Without arms, Dio didn’t have much of a defense to hold against my fist and I slammed a powerful overdrive against it. Yet I had miscalculated something about him.

His legs were still perfectly working and as my fist reached for his torso, he promptly rushed back to avoid the full might of the attack.

“Impressive! But not enough!”

I was ready to pursue him when I felt someone rush towards me from the side.

“What a naughty boy you are, little trickster!”

Wang Chan, I had forgotten about him. The cackling bastard had his claw already deployed and I was swiftly forced to shift my attention on him as he started to attack me relentlessly.

I was fast enough to handle the furious swiping, but not enough to actually dodge this assault and deal with him as quickly as I could.

The short man was ferocious with his onslaught of strikes, and I had to take a careful approach to not get maimed by his fierce hits.

“Come on, Dio, don’t rush away from me- let’s play some more~!”

“I’m not sure if this creepiness is yours to have or if it is the flesh bud making things awkward.”

He chuckled, slamming his left claw down, damaging a good section of the balcony in the process.

“I can tell you, but you have to allow me to play with your guts first~!”

“Then I refuse. Now fuck off.”

“Language!”

This was getting immensely frustrating. I tried to throw two Spinning balls at him, but he could deflect the attacks before they had the chance to explode on his face.

Truly frustrating. Even ｢ACT 1｣ had some trouble handling the length of the claws keeping the Stand from letting the man in its range and I couldn’t get close enough to smack the hell out of this crazy dark magician.

As it was right now, this situation was way more troublesome as I predicted it to be.

“So close, so close! I can tell you’re running out of energy and then… I shall strike!!”

The giddy remark was the last smug reaction the man would get as a small explosion crushed his left leg. It was sudden, and I hadn’t expected for it to happen. I swiftly traced the origin of the blast back to… Hannah.

The young woman was standing tired and slightly bruised, but she seemed to be conscious enough to be a good support for this fight.

“You filthy whore- trying to attack me when I-”

Wang Chan made a mistake by turning his attention elsewhere. ｢ACT 1｣ was already upon him as the Stand mightily discharged a furious rush of punches that ended up breaking his wrists, his elbows, his knees and his jaw.

“WRYyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy-YYYY!!”

The final punch sent him flying above… and right in the trajectory of the second Spinning ball that Hannah had managed to conjure. The attack reached the weakened magician without opposition and the brilliant explosion that ensued engulfed the being without any mercy.

A last screech was suddenly interrupted as the blast and the flame ate his body whole, leaving nothing but a burned corpse behind.

One down… now it’s time for the final boss. But first-!

“Hannah, do you need medical assistance?”

She looked surprised by the question, but she slowly shook her head. “I’m… I can do this.”

I gritted my teeth, starting to dislike her bravado now that we weren’t in the situation to allow this to influence her decisions.

Still, I didn’t have much to say as I noticed Dio waiting for me and… looking as if he had never suffered any damage. Then I noticed that he had been standing by the entrance of the balcony and that… a trail of blood stemmed from his current position to the corner that led inside… right where a pale arm was visible to my sight.

He had corpses to drink blood from. He had some impressive regenerative power, especially without Jonathan’s body to hinder his vampiric powers.

This battle was going to be tough and… why weren’t Jonathan and Bhediya here already?

“I bet you’re confused as to why your friends aren’t joining you two for this last match. Well, while I wasn’t able to create the same exquisite creations I had made in the past against Jojo, I still managed to find some sublime specimens that will prove to be difficult for your allies to beat.”

“I guess Dio will be defeated by Dio.”

He smiled deviously. “The original against the little impostor.”

“Bite my butt, effeminate bloodsucker.”

The sudden Un-Dio-like comment hit him like a train full of bricks, and it allowed me to start this brawl already by rushing towards him.

The plan was technically simple. I needed to attack only when I was sure that he couldn’t freeze me on the spot. His warmth-draining ability required me to stand still as he worked on the process, so I had to give him quick but weak strikes to soften him up before stepping up my game.

“You disgusting mongrel!” He finally reacted, preparing to attack as I deployed my Stand.

“USELESS!”

“｢ACT 1｣!”

Dio stood against the humanoid appearing between us, his punches being blocked by my Stand’s mighty hits.

The clashes created some powerful waves, but nothing close to what ｢Star Platinum｣ and ｢The World｣ achieved back in Cairo.

The stalemate was also more even, and I could feel the pressure applied onto my knuckles as the stinging reaction to each match-up surfaced onto my hands.

Dio was faring a little worse, especially since Stands were able to severely damage undead people through their attacks, and that wasn’t something he was conscious about from the way he was roaring furiously against ｢ACT 1｣.

“So you have a Stand like Pucci!” He stated before backing away from the direct confrontation. “I assume that it also has some ability. What is my Stand’s power?”

...His Stand?

Something about that claim just made my blood boils. I wasn’t going to allow this upstartish remark to go unpunished.

FOR I WAS DIO, AND THAT ｢The World｣ IS MINE!

I bolted, and I was sure the vampire had expected me to rush for another close confrontation. Instead of accepting the challenge, the monster jumped up in the air and displayed the numerous knives he had at his disposal.

“Since you seem to prosper in direct confrontations, let’s check on your propensity in fighting long-ranged opponents.”

The dangerous blades soared silently and zeroed the distance between him and I. I dodged the first barrage, using my Stand to propel myself towards Dio and… instantly regretting that decision as I soon found out that I couldn’t dodge properly mid-air.

“You fool! Ditching your main element out of spite towards me. See how the scorn born from ignorance dignifies your own downfall in this simple but legitimate fight for the Heavens!”

The older blond gloated, and I felt even more pissed by the way he was toying with me. He was in a worse shape than I was, but compared to me he looked barely winded. His stamina looked barely touched by the damage I had inflicted on his body.

Two knives finally plunged into me, with one slamming in my right leg, and another stabbing me in my left shoulder.

Fuck, now I know how Jotaro felt while fighting this bastard.

But differently from the Japanese delinquent, I had to deal with numerous problems at once since Dio’s abilities weren’t limited to just ｢The World｣.

“You will never reach my greatness, you filthy thief. The only thing you will see is death and- GAH!”

A powerful explosion ripped through his right shoulder and it was in that moment that I realized that I wasn’t alone in this fight.

Hannah!

The young woman was breathing tiredly, preparing another Spinning ball as Dio and I started to fall towards the ground.

“You shall perish!” He said before diving towards me. I dodged the attempt and quickly started to barrage the bastard’s body once again, this time ripping through his clothes and skin. I was hitting with all I got, but I found it difficult to mold Hamon with how stressed and strained my lungs were at the moment.

Much to my irritation, I was starting to slow down and grow weaker. After fighting so intensely for so long, I just felt too drained and unable to keep up the pace.

Dio noticed much to my chagrin, and soon he started to return blows with his own strikes. I could feel the pain growing unbearable and soon I was sent flying to the ground with him standing atop of me.

“A brilliant display. I’m impressed,” He judged with a calm tone, ignoring the damage he had sustained. “While I should be angry at the way you maimed me, I know that this is just proof of my need to recruit you.”

No.

I saw a familiar object in his hold.

“You were determined, absurdly annoying to beat but… it’s too late,” He crouched down, and I tried to crawl away.

I was so… so tired. I couldn’t move properly and crawling was the only way out.

But that option was crushed the same way I felt my right leg suddenly squished with a kick. I gasped blood, the pain leaving me a quivering mess.

This wasn’t… this was bad. This was the worst and… and I couldn’t move. The mask, I could feel it hover over my head.

“It will all be over soon. You will do a fine DIO’s minion. A model for others to follow and-”

His speech was interrupted as his face was engulfed in a mighty blast that destroyed the left side of his head.

Furious, Dio turned his glare to Hannah as the woman carefully advanced on him.

“L-Let him go! Let my friend go, you bastard!”

H-Hannah- no! Y-You can’t- you can’t fight him.

You can’t-

He moved so quickly, and I wanted to scream at the woman to move, to dodge, to do something to avoid the furious assault.

She had another Spin prepared but… I saw her gasp before her face was hidden away by the Stone Mask.

Dio’s blood activated it and a chilling scream of pain exploded from the woman’s muffled mouth as the spikes pierced her and turned her into a vampire. The Spin exploded from her hold but its pattern was slow, suave and it was directed at me.

I couldn’t brace myself for the attack. Not that I wanted to as I knew that it was all lost.

Dio was smiling victoriously as I was left alone to handle him and… and Hannah fell down to the ground like a limp doll.

H-Ha-Hannah- no, I- I should- I should have-

The young woman’s lips turned in a small but determined smile as she literally rushed towards me, arms wide open as she went to scoop me for a quick hug. “Lord Dio!”

N-No. Please I- I’m sorry-

“Lord Dio, to receive so much attention and consideration~!” Another giggle-

I’m- I should’ve tried more- I’m not worthy of- of being- of trying-

“Lord Dio, it’s good to see you healthy and in good shape,” The young woman greeted politely and eccentrically.

Why- why is this happening-

“Iio, Hannah. I don’t think I need to explain that friends don’t use formal titles.” She sobbed at that remark, her hold tightening even more much to my immense sighing.

Finally, my sight returned to the real world as I felt something soft pressing onto my cheek. It was warm, it was filled with care and… love.

I blinked, my teary eyes turning to the curiously soft spinning ball now pressing on my face. It wasn’t the usual white. It was gold.

H-Hannah?

Her attack, the one that was meant to kill and destroy, was now used as a final message as she left the world of the living.

I carefully reached for it and… studied it. I was mesmerized by the beautiful display of power and manipulation. This was the Golden Spin and… it felt now easy for me to understand how it works.

“Truly an interesting ability,” Dio’s voice tore through the quiet. “Sadly, it will do you nothing. You’ve lost before me, Dio. And now, you shall become my loyal puppet.”

I gritted my teeth, my anger bursting once more with renewed vigor. Gone was the strain as the Golden Spin slowly healed by wounds and my broken leg. I trembled while standing up, but it wasn’t the Spin itself that brought me out of that catatonic state.

No, something had… happened. Something had snapped at being given the ultimate sign of kindness and love.

“Y-Your sacrifice… shall not be in vain, Hannah.”

Dio snorted. “Hannah? Is that the wench’s name?”

The vampire seemed ready to give out a joke about it, but he stopped as he felt something odd erupt from my body.

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

ゴゴゴゴゴゴゴゴ

He could sense it, but he couldn’t understand what it was. His instincts were screaming, I could tell from the way he squirmed and backed away from me.

I took a step forward, feeling a degree of strength beyond what I had been able to muster until now. Compared to before, it was like someone that had just drunk a few drops of beer was finally given a full glass of alcohol.

The rush was absurd, and it added to the vengeful thirst that had reforged my determination in a single and absolute word.

Kill.

Do it for her.

And I roared as my Stand changed to best represent my new understanding of the world. I wasn’t going to allow others to be endangered by my incapacity to act on my own.

It was time to learn to take the worst on myself. To gamble my life and succeed at all costs.

｢ACT 2｣ looked stronger in this new version. He was bigger, and the vines had grown thicker to resemble proper muscles. The metallic bits were a lighter shade of their former selves, with the silver and gold shining brighter than before as the mighty humanoid roared together with me at this final lap to victory.

MUDAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

“Y-You can’t win. Your body is too strained and your lungs can’t process Hamon,” Dio half-yelled, his fear now manifesting in his scared expression. I was furious, murderously so, and he could perceive my craving for some killing as he backed away again.

It was all futile, as I could already see his next moves like the coward he was.

He tried to turn, but ｢ACT 2｣ rushed at him without making a noise. The first punch cracked the back of Dio’s skull, sending him face planting on the ground.

The vampire tried to stand up, but I was already over him as my Stand pulled him up and punched him again, this time slamming him onto the wall behind him.

“My Stand, ｢The World: ACT 2｣ is not only stronger than before, but it has also a new ability that is fitting with how I wish to end this battle,” I proclaimed dryly, snapping my fingers as a golden light coated Dio’s body and sent it flying back to me in the same posture as it had soared onto the wall.

Instead of outright crashing into me, his frame was forced still by the very gold-colored aura right in front of me. My orange eyes, now lacking any mercy or compassion for the scum before me, drove a bored and furious glare onto his defying expression.

“My stand can now revert, advance and stop the time for a single object. It’s not restoration or degradation, but it allows me to push around things at my whim and interest,” I commented sternly. “Just like you now, a puppet for me to play with and chew properly.”

The comment got a defiant struggle out of the vampire, but my Stand’s ability couldn’t be broken.

｢ACT 2｣ gave a silent nod before going for the grand finale. Differently from Giorno, I didn’t have to worry about regulating my punches to not shove the bastard too far away as the ability kept him still right where I wanted him to be.

And so… the concert of punches began.

“MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA- MUDAH!”

The final hit on the battered body was the last moment for my ability to be active, and soon the corpse of the former Dio blitzed back on the wall and… caused the entire building behind it to explode in a conflagration. The damage accumulated during that moment of stillness had gained momentum the moment Dio was allowed to move properly within time.

I coughed some blood. I might have gone a little too far with the limit of these new abilities and… I was struggling to stay up once again.

I heard footsteps and I turned to see both Bhediya and Jonathan emerge from the now ruined entrance to the balcony.

They both looked hurt themselves with how injured they were and how damaged their clothes were.

“D-Dio, what happened to you? And where is-”

Jonathan’s queries were interrupted when the ground started to shake. The entire structure was trembling furiously and I realized that my attack was perhaps to blame for this.

I gritted my teeth and nodded.

“W-We need to go,” I ordered sternly, aiming at the little pedestal that was indeed keeping the plant we were searching for. “Take it. I will… I will reach you two later.”

“Wait, why are you-”

“Kaaaaahhh.”

Bhediya tensed up, his wide-eyed stare turning to the familiar body that was Hannah’s and… his jaws dropped when the stone mask dropped to reveal the blood red eyes that replaced her previous blue ones.

“I said go. Both of you!”

I coughed again after that strained yell, and while the two boys hesitated just for a little longer before actually leaving, jumping off the balcony as Bhediya helped Jonathan with the landing.

I ignored the ground that was shaking beneath my feet and started to make my way towards the silent new vampire.

Giving her a sad look, I wasn’t really willing to go through this terrible deed. But I had to. She merely stared at me, a tiny smile on her face… while her eyes slowly turned elsewhere.

I frowned at the strange development, following her stare up to her target, I paused as I spotted something truly odd I hadn’t taken notice until that very moment.

The Golden Spin, the one sphere she had left for me to heal me up… it was still spinning. But it shouldn’t be.

The true nature of the Golden Spin was not fully unraveled in the storyline of Part 7, but I knew more than enough that this wasn’t supposed to be possible. And why was Hannah giving it this much attention.

Curiosity shredded through common sense as I walked to check on the sphere and… I picked it up.

I turned around to try and see what Hannah was hoping to do with this but… she was already there behind me. Her hands cupped beneath mine as she brought the sphere between our faces and… she closed her red eyes.

A strange light from the Golden Spin started to flow within the young woman, with my eyes widening in shock as I slowly studied the bizarre phenomenon unfolding so closely.

Her hands, which had been cold when she first reached for mine, were now warming up. At first I thought that it was just a trick of my mind, and attempted to dissuade me from going for the extreme deed.

Then her skin regained some pink compared to the pale white it was just moments ago.

Finally, her eyes opened and instead of red I was regaled with… a bright violet.

Her smile widened and her breathing turned more even.

“H-Hannah? What- what did you do?”

Her smile twitched at my shock and yet… she shrugged.

“I… I just wanted to live.”

And somehow you managed to do so through the Golden Spin.

I was confused. Immensely so. But I was also hard-pressed to leave now that this situation was… solved? Was it? Or maybe it was just an illusion?

I wasn’t unsure how to answer it and yet the ground was now giving away. We both moved, with the Golden Spin now unraveled as we started to make our way toward the edge of the balcony.

“I think I can use my Stand to-”

“I got it.”

I turned at her with a frown and then… I stared up at the strange figure behind her.

It looked like a woman, with her red-skinned body covered in a white dress with green details. A large crown covering the upper section of her face, with only her mouth exposed.

She has… a stand? How- she didn’t give any sign of being able to see mine so… how?

My questions went silent as this topic was soon eclipsed by another absurd development.

The ground finally collapsed and Hannah merely pulled me in a hug.

I would’ve expected for the two of us to fall to our deaths at that point… and yet we were floating.

My eyes widened in shock at this unexpected escalation, my jaws dropping momentarily and then Hannah decided to giggle at my gawking.

“Be careful, Dio. You might end up with a fly in your mouth.”

The teasing instantly got my mouth to shut tight, but I still regaled her with a quizzical look as I now wanted to know what was going on, how she got a Stand and… how I was going to explain this to Muddiburi.

And I, Dio, could already tell from the bamboozled look on both Jojo’s and Bhediya’s faces that it was sure going to be a nightmare to get a proper explanation out of this absurd escalation.