A Being Beyond Humanity
At this moment, time seemed to...
No, time truly stood still.
The birds stopped flapping their wings, the clouds froze in the sky, the breeze stopped blowing, and the sweat stopped falling.
Everything stood still at this moment.
This includes Li Qing, Giorno, Bucciarati, and their Stands and abilities.
The Sonically Enhanced Wave was stuck in mid-air, the Gold Experience stood frozen like a wooden statue, and the countless fist shadows commanded by the Steel Chain Fingers were also completely frozen at this moment.
"The first second."
"Dio" silently counted down the time stop in his mind.
A single time stop can only last a maximum of five seconds, which may sound short, but it is more than enough for "Dio" and his Stand "The World".
First second:
"Dio" stepped forward and slapped away the Steel Chain Fingers blocking the front.
The powerful force poured onto the body of the Steel Chain Fingers, but before it could be released, it froze as "Dio's" hand left.
Second second:
"Dio" continues forward.
Incidentally, he casually admired the Gold Experience, which hadn't even had a chance to pose properly, just like a tourist visiting a wax museum.
Third second:
He moved forward as if he were in an empty place, taking another step forward.
This time, "Dio" walked up to Abbacchio and clearly saw the panicked expression on Abbacchio's face.
Fourth second:
"Wood big wood big wood big wood big!"
A golden storm roared up in this still moment of time.
Those heavy punches kept pounding into Abbacchio's body.
Abbacchio was knocked off his feet, but then hovered in the stagnant air.
Fifth second:
"Dio" glanced back at the Sonically Enhanced Wave frozen in the air.
Li Qing anticipated his movement and directed the ball of light towards Abbacchio's front, the spot where he was standing.
However, this is not difficult for "Dio" at all.
He casually pulled Giorno aside, freezing Giorno's stiff body in mid-air and turning him into a human shield to block the Sonically Enhanced Wave attack.
Then
"Time stop, over!"
Time resumed its flow.
And everything that "Dio" did in that frozen time is now reflected in the normal flow of time:
The force exerted on the Steel Chain Fingers began to take effect.
Bucciarati, as the original body, instantly felt a heavy blow to his waist and immediately fell to the side along with his Stand.
The heavy blows Abbacchio suffered also began to erupt.
The immense power carried by each heavy punch accumulated like a continuous river in a reservoir, and finally, it all poured out at the moment the floodgates were opened.
"Ah!!"
Abbacchio's body was twisted and deformed on one side.
With a painful roar, he was lifted into the air like a kite with a broken string, and then crashed heavily to the ground in the distance.
Although he was still barely clinging to life, he no longer had the strength to stand up.
"This is the second one."
"Dio" counted heads unhurriedly, his smile arrogant and confident.
No one could stop his attack, nor could anyone hit him.
This is the confidence he has as an invincible person.
However.
Just then, something unexpected happened!
Giorno, intended to act as a meat shield, was completely ineffective.
That Sonically Enhanced Wave ignored Giorno's presence and directly stepped out of his body.
Then, without Dio's surprise, the Sonically Enhanced Wave, leaving a striking white, fluorescent mark on him.
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Li Qing laughed wildly.
It wasn't that he was arrogant; rather, after a long period of tension and repression, he finally saw that faint, dim, yet undeniably present glimmer of hope.
"I knew it."
"Judging from your behavior of deliberately moving Narancia to the front just now, I knew you had that kind of 'mischievous taste'!"
"You could have dodged it yourself, you could have taken matters into your own hands, but you insisted on using troublesome methods to show off your strength!"
Li Qing clenched his Riot Games tightly, his voice trembling with excitement:
"So, I bet you won't dodge that Sonically Enhanced Wave yourself."
"You'll definitely use my teammates as meat shields and make us 'fight each other'."
"Unfortunately, what you don't know is that my skills can pass right through your 'teammate's' body!"
The Sonically Enhanced Wave cannot hit teammates.
Previously, during the battle against Orlanto, the one marked by the Sonically Enhanced Wave was not Giorno, but Orlanto, who was parasitizing his body.
If there were no "enemy" like Orlanto inside Giorno's body
The light from the Sonically Enhanced Wave will pass directly through Giorno's body, just like it is now.
"Once the mark is made, it will definitely hit!"
"No matter how strong your Stand is, or how fast you are, you can't stop me from coming—"
"Echoes Act!"
Li Qing soared into the sky, stirring up a whirlwind and a swift shadow.
This punch unleashed Li Qing's maximum power, an attack that no ordinary person could withstand.
Everyone could already foresee this:
Li Qing's figure passed through the Stand "The World's" barrier, causing "Dio" to suffer a heavy blow.
This heavy blow will also be transmitted to Willy, who is the true form, causing him and "Dio" to fall to the ground severely injured.
However.
The situation seems somewhat delicate.
"Is it possible to attack without being blocked?"
"That's quite surprising, Li Qing."
Facing Li Qing, who had overcome all obstacles and unleashed a powerful punch directly at his body, "Dio" laughed excitedly:
"But you've got one thing wrong."
"I, Dio, am not such a weak being—"
"Wryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!"
He suddenly let out a powerful roar.
There was no evasion, no defense; Dio's response to the Echoes Act was to punch head-on!
Bang!
The two heavy punches collided head-on in mid-air, producing a thunderous boom.
The force of the punches surged, and the sound boomed.
Li Qing and "Dio" both jolted and took a step back.
No one went backward, and no one was hurt.
Dio's physical attack and Li Qing's most powerful skill were evenly matched.
"How is this possible?!"
Li Qing's face instantly turned ashen:
"Clearly human, clearly a physical body."
"How could he possibly withstand the force of Echoes Act!"
Fernando, on the other hand, managed to withstand the Echoes Act head-on by "getting pumped up".
But the human body has its limits. Even though he barely managed to withstand the Echoes Act, Fernando's muscles were broken down inch by inch by that immense power.
If it weren't for Orlanto's desperate efforts to salvage the situation inside him, Fernando would have collapsed long ago due to muscle rupture.
And now.
"Dio" took the Echoes Act- on, yet remained unharmed.
His muscles remained as strong and powerful as ever, and his expression showed no sign of pain or strain.
The immense power, like a great river, poured into his body, but dissipated within his tough and strong flesh and blood as if it were a mud ox sinking into the sea.
This power is clearly not extracted through "stimulant injections," but rather a power that "Dio" inherently possesses!
"How is that possible?"
Li Qing simply couldn't understand it anymore:
"How could the human body possibly develop this level of strength? This is not scientific!"
"Ha ha ha ha."
Faced with Li Qing's shocked expression, "Dio" couldn't help but laugh arrogantly.
He slightly parted the corners of his mouth, revealing his pair of gleaming bat fangs without reservation:
"Idiot!"
"Human strength certainly has its limits."
"But... I'm not human!"
PS: Substitute Panel
Stand name: "DIO Brando (Fake)"
The original body— Willy Coward
Destructive power: A
Speed: B
Range: A
Endurance: B
Precision of movement: B
Growth potential: B
Abilities: Possesses near-original intelligence and has a Stand named "The World (Fake)".
Once the user experiences fear, the Stand will teleport to their vicinity to provide protection.
Vampire bloodline, immortal, high-speed regeneration, able to recover by drinking blood, superhuman strength, agility, and fear of ultraviolet rays in sunlight.