Chapter Eleven: Who Is the True Monster?

“Cough, cough! What kind of monster is this…”

DIO glanced at the two blood holes on his chest that were healing. If he weren’t a vampire, he probably wouldn’t have survived this.

Faced with such overwhelming power, even DIO couldn’t help but curse inwardly.

The speed was so fast that even DIO couldn’t react in time, and the strength surpassed his own!

Moreover, the defense seemed almost impervious to his attacks. Even an immortal vampire wouldn’t have such exaggerated durability!

“No! This guy must have a weakness! There’s no way there exists anyone more perfect than me, DIO! What is it?”

DIO fixed his gaze on Polnareff, who was frozen in time. If it weren’t for his own ability to stop time, even someone as proud as DIO wouldn’t dare to dream of defeating Polnareff.

As the five-second time stop was about to expire, DIO—possessing intelligence beyond human—suddenly considered a possibility.

Perhaps the enemy’s near-impermeable defense did not cover his entire body.

Realizing this, DIO’s eyes lit up sharply!

But before probing the enemy’s weakness, he had to wait for the next time stop to set the stage for eliminating his opponent.

“Hmm? Where did the guy run off to?”

Time resumed flowing, and Polnareff casually scanned his surroundings without rushing to use his Observation Haki to find DIO.

Knowing DIO’s personality, unless he was truly outmatched or in dire straits, his pride would prevent him from fleeing so easily.

Yet several minutes passed without so much as a trace of DIO.

Just as Polnareff was wondering whether to take things more seriously, that familiar sensation returned.

“Za… Warudo!”

Time stopped once again. DIO appeared in the corridor, clutching a large bundle of weapons.

He looked at Polnareff, who stood motionless with a strange smile on his face, and sneered coldly.

“Front, back… head, neck, heart…”

Walking leisurely in the frozen time, DIO hurled one weapon after another at Polnareff: knightly swords, throwing knives, spears…

Each weapon aimed at a vital point on Polnareff’s body.

The moment time resumed, these weapons suspended midair would pierce through the monster’s body.

While DIO planned how to defeat Polnareff, the battle between Vanilla Ice and the Stardust Crusaders in the mansion’s lower level reached a fever pitch.

Though facing six opponents alone seemed impossible, Vanilla Ice’s Stand ability was formidable enough that ordinary Stand users struggled to contend with him unless they had a specific counter.

Fortunately, Vanilla Ice was determined to eliminate these insolent foes who dared challenge Lord DIO’s authority, so he chose to confront the Stardust Crusaders head-on.

“Ich!”

At Joseph’s loud warning, Iggy activated his Stand, Fool, covering the entire area with sand to trace the trajectory of Vanilla Ice’s Stand, Cream.

“Anyone who offends Lord DIO must die!”

Vanilla Ice paid no heed to revealing his position.

Even if they knew where he was, no one could harm him while hidden inside the dark space of Cream’s void.

A sphere of all-consuming ‘nothingness’ rampaged through the mansion’s lower level. Vanilla Ice’s confidence was well-founded: as long as he caught a Crusader, he could devour their body outright.

“The opponent’s reconnaissance is weak. Use this chance to observe and strike! Now’s the time!”

Joseph, relying on his unique Stand ability, repeatedly swung Hermit Purple’s vines, trying to seize a flaw the moment Vanilla Ice exposed himself.

Though not especially strong in direct combat, Joseph’s clever mind and rich battle experience gave him a chance against even the strongest foes.

“Go! Emerald Splash!”

Kakyoin, ready from the start, immediately followed suit. His Stand, Hierophant Green, was not very destructive but extremely agile.

At the moment Joseph spotted Vanilla Ice’s exposed position, Kakyoin’s Emerald Splash pierced Vanilla Ice’s head.

“Star Platinum!”

Jotaro wasted no time capitalizing on Joseph and Kakyoin’s efforts. Before Vanilla Ice could retreat after his head was pierced, Jotaro’s Stand, Star Platinum, seized him.

What followed was a brutal barrage of “ORA ORA ORA!” beating the unlucky vampire into a near unrecognizable state.

“Shatter him! Silver Chariot!”

Polnareff roared. To prevent surprises, Jotaro had warned that Vanilla Ice might have become an undead vampire when revealing his Stand’s ability.

So even after seeing Vanilla Ice’s head pierced and his body battered thin by Star Platinum, Polnareff’s Stand, Silver Chariot, swiftly struck, severing Vanilla Ice’s head and limbs.

“Be purified completely in flames!”

Alberde delivered the final blow, wrapping Vanilla Ice’s shattered pieces in flames from his Stand, Red Magician, which blazed fiercely.

Even Vanilla Ice was stunned by the relentless assault. As the flames consumed him, his severed head still wailed incessantly.

Frankly, if this had been a chance encounter with both sides unaware of each other’s powers, Vanilla Ice would never have lost so miserably.

Before his Stand’s ability was uncovered, perhaps the terrifying power of Cream could have taken down a few Crusaders.

But this battle was unfair from the start. The Stardust Crusaders had no intention of letting Vanilla Ice discover their abilities to provoke a one-on-one duel.

“Ahhh! I will kill you all! No! I can’t die yet! Lord DIO!”

Even in the flames, Vanilla Ice struggled fiercely. Though reduced to just a head, he screamed desperately. Yet even the undead have limits; despite surviving being cut to pieces, he couldn’t withstand Alberde’s flames turning him to ash.

“What a terrifying fellow…”

Joseph adjusted his cowboy hat.

It was unclear whether he referred to the charred Vanilla Ice or the DIO he served.

“This is bad! Polnareff is still upstairs!”

Polnareff’s expression changed. Though they knew Polnareff was strong, DIO’s time-stop ability was too unfathomable.

If DIO took advantage of Polnareff’s isolation to strike, the consequences would be unimaginable.