A low growl sounded from the Cloud Dragon in the sky. Dawn followed the sound with his eyes, quickly fixing his gaze on a massive boulder.
The layers of rock looked slightly unnatural. It was obvious that Risotto was hiding there.
"Diavolo, make sure you deal with any stragglers."
Dawn reminded him. Diavolo raised an eyebrow, said nothing, and sent King Crimson crashing into the boulder with a punch.
Boom!!!
Rocks flew everywhere as Risotto leaped out in a sorry state, his body covered in cuts from the debris and blood streaming from his wounds.
"Metallica!"
Risotto's eyes were bloodshot. The Boss's death had shaken him badly, and he didn't want to stay another moment.
Risotto gave little thought to whether his attack had worked. After activating his ability, he turned and ran without even looking back.
"Time Erasure."
King Crimson appeared behind Risotto like a ghost, avoiding Metallica's attack as he looked down at the short vampire before him.
Risotto crashed into King Crimson's broad chest. The tremendous impact sent him sprawling onto his back, though his legs kept pumping as if he were still running through the air. Panic and desperation filled his face.
"Risotto, you're just as much of a fake as your Boss."
"Time resumes."
King Crimson raised his leg and crushed Risotto's head with a stomp, putting an end to the vampire's life.
Clap~ clap~ clap~
Hewitt appeared, clapping as he approached, his face alight with delight and excitement.
"That was a thoroughly satisfying one-sided beatdown, though the methods were a little brutal."
Hewitt smiled at Dawn, then eagerly hurried over to use Hamon to purify the remains of the two vampires.
As he purified Risotto's body, the supposedly dead vampire began to struggle violently, but in the end, he still turned to ash.
"Father really is cautious. King Crimson alone was more than enough to crush them, and yet you still called me to watch."
Hewitt grinned and gave a slight bow, indicating that he had completed his task perfectly.
Confusion appeared on King Crimson's face. He had destroyed Risotto's brain, so why hadn't Risotto died for good?
Hewitt calmly explained, "Never underestimate a vampire. Some vampires, to catch their enemies off guard, move their brains to their chests or somewhere else beforehand, letting them fake their deaths or launch a counterattack."
Diavolo nodded seriously.
The loud sounds of battle drew the attention of the two people inside the house. After they learned what had happened, they found out that the other side had come looking for them.
"Dawn, according to your theory, this should be our window of opportunity."
After speaking, Joestar summoned Purple Hermit and began searching the entire world.
Before long, Joestar's face lit up.
"Found him!"
Everyone gathered around and saw a red dot twenty kilometers away, still moving slowly.
"There's no time to waste. Let's go now."
They climbed onto the Cloud Dragon and flew at full speed toward Mista's location.
"Dawn, I can use Time Stop to kill him instantly and prevent the time reversal from triggering again."
Dio spoke in a low voice. Giving it his all was the respect he owed his opponent, even though he'd never met Mista.
Dawn didn't answer right away. He recalled Golden Experience Requiem's automatic protection, then firmly shook his head.
"Dio, Requiem's power is beyond your imagination. Even if you kill Mista, the time reversal will still activate."
Dio frowned at his words.
Dawn reassured him, "Don't worry. Mista isn't an enemy. We just need to clear up the misunderstanding."
Not long after they left.
Abandoned shack.
A massive peregrine falcon swooped through the air. When it landed, its form twisted and shifted until it gradually became a tall, broad-shouldered man.
Kars crouched and picked up a pinch of white ash. He held it beneath his nose, sniffed, and curled his lips into a cruel smile.
"This is... Diavolo's scent. Who killed you?"
Kars stood and closed his eyes. The scents all around him brought the scene back to life in his mind.
"Taken out in a single blow. Diavolo, you worthless fool."
Kars muttered to himself and focused again.
"Two humans and two vampires. Which one is the demon I'm looking for?"
Kars opened his eyes, a flash of brilliance in them.
"It doesn't matter. Killing them all can't be wrong."
Kars leaped into the air, transformed into a peregrine falcon, and flew into the sky, the sharp whistle of his passage ringing out without end.
The demon who would destroy the world had appeared in Italy. If he wasn't eliminated, the world was doomed.
That was the revelation Kars had received in his dream once more.
"Fate is guiding me..."
Deep in the forest, Mista and Trish traveled together.
They followed the path the Punisher squad had cleared earlier, evading several search parties along the way without incident as they pressed farther onward.
"Mista, why are these vampires running around like they've gone mad? You hardly ever saw them out in the wilderness before."
Trish used a machete to cut through the brambles, then looked back at Mista.
Mista's expression was grave. Perhaps the group they'd encountered earlier had caused some kind of trouble, and now the city was in an uproar.
"Trish, let's hide in the Punisher squad's shelter first. Once things calm down, we can decide what to do next."
Trish nodded, unable to stop herself from thinking of her dead teammates. Her gaze fell, and a shadow passed through her eyes.
Mista noticed her expression and pressed his lips together. He said nothing, only patting her shoulder in comfort.
They soon found a hidden burrow, lifted the camouflage, and crawled inside.
Dust covered everything there. Fortunately, the food was sealed in cans and hadn't spoiled. Drinking water wouldn't be hard to come by either; they were in the forest, and a little purification would make the water safe to drink.
Mista hadn't even had a chance to catch his breath when an unknown creature's low growl suddenly sounded outside.
"Are we being followed?"
Mista muttered, drawing his hand cannon in a flash and aiming it at the burrow's entrance.
If the enemy dared to enter, a high-explosive round would blow them to pieces, leaving nothing behind.
A jumble of footsteps approached, then stopped at the entrance.
Both of them tensed. Without hesitation, Mista reached for the Insect Arrow pendant.
"Mista."
Dawn's voice came from outside, calm and friendly.
"Bucciarati sends his regards."
Mista and Trish froze, their hands stopping in mid-motion.
"Bucciarati? How does he know about Bucciarati? The captain always used a codename in public."
Mista began to waver.
Dawn spoke again. "We took out Diavolo and his strike team. The city is in chaos, and there's no time to waste."
"You have the ability to reverse time after death. Why are you still afraid of me?"
At those words, Mista's pupils trembled.
"You... actually know about the previous loops."
Mista was stunned. For the first time, someone had been immune to his death reversal—and stuck to him like glue, impossible to shake off.
"Mista, they don't mean us any harm. Otherwise, a whole army would be here to surround us by now."
Trish reasoned calmly, urging him, "We can at least hear them out."
Mista hesitated, then nodded. He lowered his gun and walked toward the entrance.
Before you continue