Just moments ago, Dio had stopped time and calmly moved to stand behind Zuke.
Since time stop lasted a full five seconds, Dio moved leisurely, but he still reached Zuke's back just as time resumed.
"What a pity. You killed Vanilla Ice, and your power would be much more effective if you joined me."
Spending most of his time in his room, Dio seemed to have a lot he wanted to say, so even knowing that Zuke couldn't hear him during stopped time, he couldn't resist speaking out loud.
His desire to recruit Zuke was genuine, but since the other side wouldn't accept, he could only act decisively.
A powerful Stand user who couldn't be recruited had to be eliminated, especially if there was any chance he'd side with the Joestar family.
"Die!"
Standing behind Zuke, Dio threw a punch at his back, aiming to recreate what Zuke had done to Enya. He then lifted the time stop.
"And time resumes!"
Bang!
As soon as time resumed, Dio's right fist landed squarely on Zuke's spine.
How strong was Dio's vampire strength? Let's just say he could crush a brick with the same ease as a piece of tofu.
So Dio didn't use his Stand, "The World"; he attacked with his own hand, believing an ordinary human body wouldn't withstand the impact.
The punch would break through Zuke's chest, allowing Dio to savor the taste of his blood—a wonderful thought.
But that fantasy was quickly shattered by a wave of intense pain. The moment Dio's fist struck Zuke's back, instead of breaking through, he felt his own bones shatter.
"What?!"
Feeling his right hand bones fracture, Dio's face showed utter shock as he hastily retreated, clutching his limp right wrist with his left, pupils trembling.
"How is this possible? My fist landed on him, yet he's unharmed, while my hand broke…"
Dio had immense confidence in his strength, but that confidence was now thwarted by Zuke.
"So, you attacked me."
Zuke now understood what had happened. While he didn't grasp the exact situation during time stop, the strange feeling in his back and Dio's broken right hand told him everything.
"Not totally unscathed—you ripped my clothes."
Indeed, Dio's punch did have some power. The back of Zuke's shirt had a large tear, faintly revealing his muscular back.
However, this seemingly playful comment only made Dio more cautious.
"Does this guy's Stand ability not only deal with shadows but also absorb and reflect damage?"
Dio could tell Zuke wasn't a vampire, so he naturally assumed the outcome was due to Zuke's Stand ability.
As a vampire in this world, he couldn't possibly understand the concept of a "40 power level."
In early Dragon Ball, young Goku had only a few dozen power levels when taking down the Red Ribbon Army. He could take a rocket head-on without a scratch.
Zuke, though not quite at that level, was still far stronger than Dio's punch, which was hardly equivalent to a bullet.
"My turn?"
Seeing that Dio seemed unwilling to attack again, Zuke raised an eyebrow and threw a punch aimed directly at Dio's head!
"What…?!"
Dio saw only a shadow flash before his eyes. Instinctively, he tried to stop time, but his reaction was still slower than Zuke's punch.
Boom!
A deafening crash echoed through the stairwell as Zuke's punch instantly struck Dio's head. With the sound of bones breaking, Dio's body flew like a rag doll.
"Oh no, did I kill him with one punch…"
Seeing Dio's body collapse limply after flying backward, Zuke froze.
He hadn't expected Dio to be so fragile; he'd even held back his strength to avoid shattering Dio's head.
Wasn't a vampire's body supposed to be much tougher than a regular human's? This didn't seem much stronger at all.
The reason he didn't go full force and kill Dio outright was that Dio hadn't summoned his Stand, "The World."
Zuke wanted more than just to complete his mission—he also intended to seize Dio's Stand ability, "The World," and its time-stop power.
…
"Cough… How can this be? What kind of power is this…"
Dio, who had flown down to the first-floor lobby, was filled with a fear he hadn't felt in a long time.
That punch had made it clear: his fist, which had landed on Zuke, not only failed to harm him but had broken on impact. This wasn't a Stand ability; it was real, overwhelming physical strength.
Realizing this, Dio was even more shocked.
In this world, as a vampire made by the Stone Mask, his strength should be unrivaled. Only another Stand user could pose a physical threat to him.
How could anyone, without becoming a vampire, overpower him with raw strength? What was the point of him risking everything to become a vampire?
"What? Lord Dio…"
In the first-floor lobby, Kenny G was horrified at the sight of Dio's shattered form flying down from the stairs.
He had always revered Dio, yet now he was witnessing the vampire sprawled on the floor, his head bloody and part of his skull and brain exposed.
"What happened? Wasn't it only Enya who went up…"
"Small fry shouldn't prattle here."
Before he could finish, a blow struck Kenny G from behind, and he collapsed, unconscious.
As Kenny G fell, Zuke appeared behind him, once again standing before Dio.
Unlike Dio's battered and pathetic state, Zuke's instantaneous movement placed him silently behind Kenny G to knock him out.
The reason he didn't kill Kenny G immediately was that his Stand, "Tenor Sax," and its illusion-creating ability were useful. Zuke planned to force him to summon his Stand before finishing him off.
To be continued…
Hand over your Power Stones, Ningen!