The world turned gray and white.
Time stopped.
But—
Lin Qing and Star Platinum's fists did not stop!
"What?!"
Dio shouted in disbelief.
He had never imagined anyone could move while time was stopped.
Much less that this person would be both a Ripple user and a Stand User!
Star Platinum's fist collided with The World's in midair. The impact sent the air surging and Lin Qing's hair fluttering, revealing a gaze filled with unwavering resolve.
Dio and Lin Qing stared at each other.
The gray-and-white world seemed to turn pitch-black. In Dio's eyes, nothing remained but a fist drawing ever closer, and the word written behind it—
"Die!"
Boom!
Lin Qing's punch struck Dio.
Dio flew backward and smashed through a building. Bricks and rubble collapsed in heaps, then hung suspended in midair under Time Stop.
One instant. One punch.
Lin Qing's ability to move during Time Stop came to an end.
The world remained gray and white. Time had not yet resumed. Everything was frozen, silent.
"Heh—"
Laughter rang out.
Along with it came wisps of cold air, dissipating in Cairo's scorching heat.
Rumble!
Dio flung the rubble off himself and rose to his feet.
A thick layer of ice covered his head. It was this ice, condensed from thin air, that had blocked the power of Lin Qing's Ripple.
"Vaporization Freezing Technique."
Dio's signature move. A hundred years ago, he had used it to fight Jonathan Joestar, a genius among Ripple users.
"Pathetic! Pathetic!"
The ice on Dio's face crumbled into shards. He looked at Lin Qing's arm, gradually freezing solid, and curled his lips into a smile.
"That's why Ripple users were obsolete ages ago! Idiot!"
He folded his arms again and wagged a finger.
"I don't know why you can move while 'The World' has