From the moment Zuke teleported after Dio, pinning him to the ground, to the moment Blackbird grabbed The World by the neck and lifted it up, only an instant had passed since time resumed.
Dio's The World and Jotaro Kujo's Star Platinum—both Stand abilities capable of stopping time—aren't limitless. After each activation, a brief pause is required before either can be used again.
This limitation was explained by Jotaro Kujo in Part 6, where, amidst a tense situation, he confirmed it. Naturally, Dio, who shares this Stand ability, is bound by the same rules.
A few breaths don't seem long, but for Dio, they stretch out in agonizing slow motion.
"You… you damn fool…"
With his head pressed firmly to the ground and his Stand's neck held tightly, Dio is beginning to feel the pressure on his breathing. Though being a vampire spares him from suffocating to death, he knows Zuke has no intention of just holding him down.
Whatever happens next will likely be fatal.
While fleeing, Dio had deliberately stuck to shadows; though he's now out on the street, the surrounding buildings shield him from direct sunlight. But with Zuke's strength, tossing him into an open area to let the sunlight disintegrate him would be easy.
Then he'd crumble like dust, dissolving into the air.
Before Dio could resist, a sharp pain shot up both his arms.
"Ahhhh—!!"
On Dio's Stand, The World, Blackbird had already devoured both arms and was absorbing The World's power.
Damage inflicted on a Stand is transferred to its user, and with The World's arms destroyed, Dio's own arms suddenly burst apart, leaving bloody remnants.
As a vampire, his scattered flesh even tried to crawl back to his severed arms, a grotesque sight.
This horror had people nearby screaming, and some police officers aimed their guns at him in a desperate attempt to restore their confidence.
"Damn it, is he trying to torture me for fun?"
Dio's mind was a whirl. With his power, Zuke could've easily crushed Dio's skull and ended him. But instead, he destroyed The World's arms with his Stand, Blackbird.
Dio, ignorant of Blackbird's true ability, assumed Zuke was merely trying to inflict suffering.
"Well, this works… I can feel it. The World's time-stop ability is ready again!"
As The World's arms were devoured, despite the agony, Dio grit his teeth and reactivated his Stand's ability.
"Stop time! The World!"
The familiar ripples spread from The World, and the surrounding noise turned silent. The people on the street froze mid-movement, as if part of a paused tableau.
"Haha, it worked…"
Dio's face lit up with crazed joy as he slowly pulled himself out of Zuke's grip, then prepared to run.
"Damn it, to think I, Dio, would end up in such a sorry state. This guy… what?!"
Just as he took his first step, he felt a force on his head, slamming him back to the ground just as violently as before!
Boom!
As he crawled out of one crater, he was smashed into another. For Dio, this was an unbearable humiliation.
But he had no time for shame. From between his fingers, he looked up at Zuke's face, glancing around to confirm that the people around were still frozen in time.
"What's going on!? Time hasn't resumed—how are you moving?!"
As his words fell, time resumed. Onlookers were startled to find another massive pit had appeared out of nowhere on the street, with the two figures now in the new crater.
"Your time-stop ended? Then let me show you something interesting."
Zuke grinned. "How can I move during your time-stop? Isn't it obvious?"
"Blackbird The World!"
The same ripple emanated from Blackbird behind Zuke. The onlookers, who had just regained their ability to move, froze again, locked in the same tableau as before.
Dio's lips trembled, understanding everything.
"So that's it… so that's it."
Blackbird's ability had nothing to do with shadows; it simply devoured its enemies and gained their abilities!
Previously, Dio thought Zuke hid in Blackbird's shadow, assuming it had something to do with shadows. In reality, it was a separate space gained after Blackbird devoured Vanilla Ice's Stand, Cream.
Now, with The World's ability consumed, Zuke could also stop time, allowing him to act within the time-stopped realm.
Just like Jotaro did in Part 3's final battle—but this, Dio could never know.
"Knowing how you die is the last mercy I'll grant you. Be a better person in your next life."
As time stopped, Zuke sneered and stomped down, shattering Dio's head into a pulp of brain matter.
Vampire bodies may be tough, but does it matter if they can't withstand a strength level of forty?
"Oh, right. Even with your head destroyed, your body's still alive, isn't it?"
Zuke nudged Dio's headless body with his foot, kicking it toward a spot in direct sunlight.
Plop.
"And now, let time flow again."
With Zuke's ceremonious declaration, time resumed. Dio's body lay exposed in the sunlight.
In moments, his body began to crumble like a plaster statue under the sun, disintegrating into dust and scattering into the breeze.
At the same time, the system notification appeared.
[Current World: JoJo's Bizarre Adventure]
[Main Mission: Defeat Dio]
[Player Zuke's Strength Synchronization: 100%]
[Please continue advancing the main mission to unlock full strength synchronization.]
[Congratulations, Player Zuke! You've successfully unlocked 0% synchronization in the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure world Verse!]
[You may choose one item to bring out of this world:]
Arrow
Dio's Finger
BoneSmith & Wesson M1917
To be continued…
Advance 50 Chapters are up on my Patreon.
pat reon.com/AlphaSenatus
Btw, hand over your Power Stones, Ningen!