[33] The Stone Mask

"Dio hasn't returned?" Jonathan Joestar looked at the butler and asked.

"Yes... that's correct. He went out earlier and hasn't returned since," The butler of the Joestar family replied as he looked at Jonathan.

"Hmm... did he run away? That Dio!" The police chief voiced his suspicion.

"I don't know... I really don't," Jonathan replied after a moment of silence. He didn't know if Dio had run away or simply hadn't come back.

"Well... if he has run away, I'll issue a warrant later. But before that, let me go and see Sir Joestar," The police chief sighed, expressing his concern for Sir Joestar.

"Alright, my father should be resting in his room now... I've already had him take the antidote. Butler, please escort them."

"Yes, I understand."

"Jonathan, what about you?" Kazuya looked at Jonathan and asked.

"I'll wait here!" Jonathan clenched his fists with a determined expression. "If Dio comes back and there's no one here... I might miss him. Besides, I have a feeling he will come back!"

"Is that so? Then it's up to you," Kazuya nodded.

"In that case, I'll leave my father to you, Jerry," Jonathan said to Kazuya. He knew this man, who was somewhat famous among the London police, as "Jerry Copperdale." Jonathan had met him a few times before.

Kazuya nodded and didn't say anything more.

They followed the police chief upstairs and chatted with Sir Joestar for a while.

Then—they heard a sound from downstairs.

The group went back downstairs.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, before they could push the door open, they heard a voice from the other side.

"It seems like you're curious about who I am from your expression. Let me introduce myself. I'm the meddlesome Speedwagon, and I came from the slums of London because I was worried about Mr. Joestar."

"Wait," The police chief stopped Jonathan's father, George Joestar, and said, "Wait a moment before opening the door, Sir Joestar. You might not believe what we're about to say, so here... listen with your own ears."

"Hmm... I understand," Sir Joestar nodded, his eyes gleaming. It wasn't hatred for Dio that he felt, but rather a deep sense of self-blame for failing to educate Dio properly. He felt he had let down Dio's guardian, Dario Brando. This troubled him greatly.

"Sir Joestar, I admire your innocence, so let me tell you something," Speedwagon's voice continued from the other side of the door. "I've lived in the dark streets since I was a child, and I've seen all kinds of scoundrels. So, I can tell a good person from a bad one just by their scent! This guy reeks of evil all over! His odor is worse than vomit!"

As he spoke, a sound came from the other side of the door as Speedwagon kicked over a candlestick in front of Dio.

"This is the evilest person I've ever seen! Was it his environment that made him this way? No! This guy was born evil! Do you remember this guy—"

From the other side of the door, Speedwagon pulled someone out.

"This Oriental man has testified that he sold poison to you, right?"

"I've heard everything you've said," George Joestar couldn't help but speak. The police around him opened the door, revealing the people in the room. "I'm truly sorry. I held the same expectations and affection for you as I did for my own son. Ugh..."

He coughed involuntarily, and his body, weakened by the antidote he had just taken, remained frail.

"Dad, you need to rest," Jonathan hurriedly approached him and said.

"Yes, I'll go rest. I don't want to see my son being arrested. Jojo, I leave it to you," George Joestar said.

"Alright."

"It seems that there's no turning back now," Dio Brando stood up, his expression calm.

Kazuya observed him and discreetly checked the bullets in his gun... Although he had trained for several years, he was only slightly stronger than his real-world self now...

Without any special means, humans indeed had limits.

"That man won't be captured," suddenly, the Asian man who had been brought in said.

"Jojo, considering we've spent seven years together, I hope at least you can be the one to handcuff me."

"I understand," Jonathan nodded and walked over.

"Sir Joestar, please be careful," Speedwagon reminded Jonathan.

Watching the scene in front of him, Kazuya even thought about redrawing JOJO from scratch... After all, everything in his mind had been just manga before, but now—after experiencing these events firsthand, he felt that drawing JOJO now might produce a better result than before.

"JOJO," Dio suddenly spoke as he looked at Jonathan who was approaching, "Human abilities are truly limited."

"Huh?"

"In this brief human life, what I've learned is that the more humans scheme and plan, the more likely they are to stumble upon the unexpected. So, I want to surpass humanity."

"What do you mean? What are you talking about?" Jonathan asked, looking puzzled.

"JOJO, I won't be human anymore!"

Saying that—

He suddenly took the Stone Mask from his right hand, which was wrapped in bandages— and! With a dagger in his right hand, he tore open the bandages—revealing a sharp blade.

"I want to surpass humanity!"

"The Stone Mask—why do you have it?!" Jonathan's attention was completely drawn to the sudden appearance of the Stone Mask. He didn't notice the dagger in Dio's right hand.

"Danger—"

"Shoot him—"

Kazuya and Jonathan raised their guns, but they didn't pull the triggers. At this moment... at this distance, he could easily shoot through Dio's brain if he wanted to. But... if the vampire didn't appear, would Baron Zeppeli really come?

Without Baron Zeppeli, he couldn't learn Ripple energy...

All the years he had spent in the dream world would be wasted—

However!

He couldn't just watch, even in a dream! These people were different from the previous ones; they were characters he liked. If he could help them in any way, he had to do something, like this—

"JOJO, offer your blood as a sacrifice—!"

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