Bang!
The shattered mask exploded, revealing a horrific face, as if corroded by acid.
Molten lava-like veins snaked wildly across the man's body.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sound of fracturing bones erupted, forcibly fused back together as the molten veins spread.
As for the spots Star Platinum had struck—right eye, spleen, knee… even the groin—they were now unnaturally ablaze with flames!
Sensing something off, Locke's brows knitted tightly. Instinctively, he froze time in that moment!
"Ora ora ora!"
The purple meteor unleashed a barrage in the frozen world, each strike slamming precisely into the monster's brain!
It was like smashing a watermelon—juices splattered everywhere.
Buzz!
Time resumed.
The dull crunch of a shattered skull rang out as the man was sent flying backward.
But—
Crack, crack, crack…
As always, the molten veins kept spreading across his body, the broken bones forcibly melded by flames! It was as if scalding magma surged through his veins, glowing a dark red beneath charred skin.
Bang!
The monster snapped its head up, revealing a grotesque face consumed by flames.
Save for a single human pupil in the left eye, the rest had turned into burning white bone!
"Hiss…"
Sulfur-scented black smoke poured from his mouth and nose.
With a flick of his arms—
Whoosh!
Dark red flames solidified into chains, coiling around his forearms.
No roars. No threats. Just a low whisper, silent and deliberate, as he advanced step by step.
No nonsense.
Boom!
The hellish chains tore through the air like twin fire pythons, melting streetlights and vaporizing guardrails in their path! Their speed far exceeded human limits!
Facing the oncoming fire chains, Locke didn't retreat a single step. His right arm bulged with muscle, his five fingers like the hardest alloy drill—
Rip!
He plunged his hand straight into the side of a parked SUV, the sturdy steel crumpling like tofu under his grip!
Then, an indescribable, terrifying force erupted!
Buzz—BOOM!
The massive black SUV was swung into the air with one arm!
The hulking steel frame seemed weightless in his hands, transformed into a devastating siege hammer. With an effortless yet unstoppable motion, Locke hurled it with a deafening roar, smashing it toward the incoming fire chains!
But the hellish chains' power far surpassed steel!
BOOM!
The twin fire pythons collided with the flying SUV!
No stalemate—just utter destruction!
The white-hot molten chains sliced through the SUV like a red-hot poker through butter, tearing and melting it in half! The fuel tank ignited, triggering a deafening secondary explosion! A massive fireball erupted, spraying scorching, razor-sharp metal fragments in all directions, the blistering heatwave charring the ground!
And just as the explosion's flames and debris were about to engulf Locke—
"The World!"
Time froze!
The roaring explosion, flying shards, swirling flames, even the air itself—all were paused in an instant.
The world faded into an eerie gray-white stillness.
Only Locke's figure, a lightning bolt tearing through the frozen canvas, became a blurred afterimage. In the stopped time, he crossed the deadly distance between the explosion's core and Durance in a flash!
"Ora!"
Star Platinum's form solidified behind him, its terrifying fists brimming with mountain-shattering force, ripping through the still air with a will to crush everything, aimed straight at Durance's face!
But the monster's reaction was inhumanly fast!
As if anticipating this time-defying strike, Durance flicked his wrist in the split second between time resuming and the fist's impact!
Whoosh!
One of the chains, still burning with hellfire and molten metal from obliterating the SUV, coiled back like a living scorpion's tail at an impossible angle and speed!
The chain snapped taut, shrieking through the air, aimed precisely at Locke's incoming iron fist.
BOOM!
The chain struck first, meeting Star Platinum's punch head-on.
An explosion of firelight surged skyward!
The shockwave of flames and Stand energy flipped the pavement within a ten-meter radius, sending scorching debris raining down.
Star Platinum's fist was singed black, while the chain only veered slightly before snaking upward, slashing viciously at Locke!
"What a troublesome monster," Locke muttered, a flicker of wariness in his eyes.
He dodged backward, but Durance seized the moment, leaping into the air. His arms crossed, the chains above his head formed a blazing wheel of fire, crashing down with the force to incinerate everything!
"I'm sorry," Durance rasped, his voice a mix of anguish or rage—Locke couldn't tell.
But he knew one thing.
"Star Platinum!"
"The World!"
Time stopped without hesitation, the world cloaked in gray-white!
Five seconds—Locke's limit.
He and Star Platinum surged forward like lightning, ascending into the air! Their target: Durance's unguarded chest and brain!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Muffled, drum-like impacts thundered in the frozen gray world!
Locke and Star Platinum, like twin silver bolts tearing through time, circled the suspended Durance at blinding speed, hammering him relentlessly! Star Platinum's massive fists, brimming with star-shattering power, unleashed a storm of blurred punches, raining mercilessly on Durance's massive, warped body from every angle!
"Ora ora ora ora!"
Each blow made the black-flame monster's skin quake, cracks spreading like spiderwebs! Shards and sparks hung eerily in the still air.
Chest, spine, joints, skull—no part was spared!
Five seconds—Locke's time-stop limit!
A glint of cold resolve flashed in his eyes for the final strike—
Star Platinum channeled every ounce of strength into an uppercut, slamming into Durance's jaw, sending his massive frame lurching upward!
Now.
Retreat!
Time resumed!
Locke and Star Platinum used the recoil from the final blow, shooting backward like arrows at supersonic speed!
But then—
A sudden twist!
"RAAAGH!"
Durance, battered nearly beyond recognition by Star Platinum's onslaught, let out a distorted roar—part pain, part fury, as if from the depths of hell.
The deep cracks across his body, carved by Star Platinum's fists, suddenly glowed with blinding crimson light!
BOOM!
Like a volcano suppressed for millennia finding release, the hellfire within Durance didn't shield him—it detonated in a self-destructive blaze! The terrifying energy, centered on his body, exploded outward in a savage, unstoppable surge!
A black-and-red fireball, over ten meters wide, erupted before Locke's eyes! Its speed outpaced thought! This wasn't a shield—it was a calculated, all-consuming suicide blast!
"What?!"
Locke's pupils shrank to pinpoints, icy dread flooding his senses!
Too close! The explosion's range was too vast!
He and Star Platinum had just exited their combo, old strength spent, new strength unborn, still carried by the momentum of their backward retreat. There was no way to perfectly dodge at such close range in such a split second!
"Star Platinum!"
At the critical moment, Locke and his Stand moved as one. Star Platinum pushed its speed to the limit, crossing its arms to form a final barrier in front of Locke!
But—
BOOM!
The devastating shockwave, laced with steel-melting hellfire, crashed into Star Platinum's hasty defense like a roaring beast, overwhelming both it and Locke, who had no time to fully evade!
Scorching! Savage! Crushing!
"Urgh!"
Locke felt like a freight train had slammed into him. His organs shuddered, and his body was hurled back, crashing hard into the ground!
Star Platinum's purple form flickered violently, growing faint.
The searing fire poison crept through the Stand's connection, invading Locke's mind with excruciating pain that blackened his vision.
Struggling to his feet, Locke tasted blood in his throat. He wiped his mouth, his gaze locking forward, pupils shrinking.
The man before him was no longer human!
Beneath charred, cracked skin, dark red molten veins writhed like living things. A diamond-shaped crimson crystal pulsed rhythmically in his chest, glowing like a beating heart.
Clearly, the earlier explosion had erupted from this crystal! Even a fool could see the glowing molten veins across his body were powered by it!
Crack, crack.
Durance slowly raised his head, his exposed jawbone dripping molten lava, his teeth opening and closing as sulfurous black smoke poured out.
"Your… time…"
"I prepared… I'm sorry…"
Locke froze, cold sweat sliding down his spine.
This man… had he noticed the time stop?!
Three consecutive time stops—even the densest assassin would pick up on something by now.
"Hiss…"
A strange sound rasped from his lava-covered throat.
The crystal flashed violently!
The molten veins across Durance's body flared brighter, the ground beneath him cracking, magma-like light seeping from the fissures.
With a slight bend of his knees—
BOOM!
The pavement collapsed beneath him! He launched toward Locke like a cannonball, his burning right arm raised high! Hellfire coalesced into a ten-meter-long flaming axe, cleaving down with earth-splitting force!
"Ora!"
Star Platinum roared, its fists blurring as they smashed toward the flaming axe.
Fist met axe!
BOOM!
A terrifying shockwave erupted in a ring, sinking the pavement beneath them by three feet!
The flaming axe shattered, but Star Platinum's fists were scorched black, smoking.
Locke staggered back, his mind racing with strategies, but—
Whoosh!
In that moment of thought, Durance's left-arm chain split apart!
"The Wor—"
"Damn it!"
Three fire snakes, alive and cunning, bypassed Star Platinum, striking at Locke from treacherous angles!
Locke twisted aside, but one snake grazed his shoulder.
Dark red fire seared into his flesh, the agony blackening his vision!
"Argh!"
He dropped to one knee, the fire poison spreading like a web through his body!
Durance advanced slowly, molten footprints burning behind him. He loomed over Locke, the crystal's light flickering as if mocking human frailty.
"Mental… fluctuations… before every attack, every move…"
"I'm sorry…"
So that's it!
Locke's eyes widened in realization.
This man had sensed Star Platinum's mental fluctuations before each move, the surge of mental energy before a time stop, allowing him to preemptively counter!
"Damn it…"
Locke gritted his teeth, Star Platinum's purple form trembling slightly.
Durance raised his burning right arm, molten lava dripping to burn holes in the ground.
"This time… no chances… sorry…"
BOOM!
The air within ten meters ignited, forming a ring of fire that trapped them both!
Not an attack—a cage!
"Bastard…"
Clutching his scorched shoulder, Locke commanded Star Platinum to maintain a fighting stance.
"You think this trick will—"
Before he could finish, Durance lunged!
Bang!
A burning fist collided with Star Platinum, the shockwave shaking the fire wall.
The clash of raw power wasn't the problem. The real issue was…
Locke was still human!
Dizziness overwhelmed him, his vision blurring!
The hellfire wall didn't just bring devastating heat—it consumed the surrounding oxygen! Each breath felt like inhaling scorching sand, his lungs burning unbearably.
Even Star Platinum's movements slowed visibly under the dual assault of heat and oxygen deprivation.
Yet Durance's crimson crystal didn't dim—it grew brighter, feeding on the flames and pain, its glow almost blinding! The demon raised his whip, poised to lash at Locke, but—
"Dad!"
At the critical moment, a cry of anguished desperation pierced the flames' roar!
Locke's heart clenched!
A golden figure burst through the deadly fire wall—Dio! Drawn by the inexplicable bond between Stand users, he'd found them!
"The World!"
The boy's voice burned with fury and resolve!
A golden giant materialized, its heavy fist crashing toward Durance's back like a meteor!
Clang!
A grating metallic screech rang out!
The molten chain, meant for Locke and Star Platinum, whipped back at the last second like a living serpent, deflecting the golden giant's arm!
Searing heat and savage energy surged through!
"Argh!"
Dio let out a piercing scream!
The Stand's pain seared into his soul!
The golden giant shuddered, its form flickering and fading under the chain's binding flames, dissolving into the scorching air!
"…Kid?"
Durance froze, turning slightly to see Dio. A flicker of struggle flashed in his left eye.
"One… is enough… you shouldn't… have come…"
"Urgh!"
The fire poison spread, turning Dio's face deathly pale.
His body curled in agony, twitching, yet he glared defiantly at Durance.
"Dio!"
Seeing his son writhing under the enemy's chains, Locke's heart felt gripped by an icy fist, nearly stopping!
Terror and boundless rage shattered the dizziness and physical limits!
"Stay away from him!"
A primal roar erupted from his soul, drawing every ounce of mental strength. His will and Star Platinum's fused to an unprecedented peak!
"Star Platinum!"
The purple giant blazed with unmatched light, merging with Locke's form in the steaming heatwaves!
A purple comet tore through the night, driven by unyielding resolve, charging the enemy who'd harmed his blood!
"The World!"
Time stretched and froze under that furious cry!
First second: Powered by Star Platinum's eruption, Locke reached Dio's side in an instant.
Second second: His palm pressed against Dio's back.
"Go!"
With a surge of strength, Locke pushed Dio forward.
Like an arrow, Dio was launched toward the safety of the riverbank.
Tumbling through the air, he was caught by The World, landing shakily.
"Cough!"
Dio hacked up scorching dust, looking up, his pupils shrinking.
Locke didn't glance back. He didn't need to confirm Dio's safety.
He trusted his son. He trusted The World to protect him.
His gaze locked solely on the man.
The towering demonic warrior seemed momentarily distracted by Dio's arrival, his molten chains swaying aimlessly, as if unsure of the next move.
But Locke wouldn't give him the chance to choose. He wouldn't waste the opening his son had created!
"Bastard!"
The last shred of hesitation burned away! Locke's roar drowned out Star Platinum's whistling fists.
His light condensed to its peak, all mental strength focused in his right fist!
Sixth second!
Time stop reached the sixth second!
Purple energy collapsed like a supernova before its explosion!
Locke abandoned all defense, chest exposed, charging headlong into whatever Durance might throw, unrelenting, aiming for the glowing crimson crystal!
This wasn't technique, strategy, or even an attack!
It was a father's desperate gamble!
The next moment—
Time resumed!
"No!"
Durance's voice, laced with pleading, erupted in a terrified scream!
The chains scrambled to defend, flames surging wildly, but against Locke's death-defying charge, it was too late.
The blazing purple comet struck the molten barrier.
But driven by survival instinct—
Durance's fist, wrapped in steel-melting hellfire, instinctively slammed toward Locke's chest!
BOOM!
It hit Locke's chest—
Or rather, the blue ladybug brooch on Locke's chest!
Crack…
The sound of the ladybug shattering was chillingly clear.
Splat!
A bowl-sized blood hole exploded in the demonic warrior's chest!
No external force, no energy attack—just as if fate had been forcibly fulfilled, a price instantly exacted!
His heart—his energy crystal—was crushed by an invisible force!
Flames reversed from the wound, collapsing like a deflating furnace.
This was Golden Experience's unreasonable power!
Any creation made by Giorno would reflect all damage back onto the enemy!
Locke—
He'd bet right!
"Urgh…"
Durance stared at the hole in his chest, then at Locke's unscathed torso, and finally at the shattered blue ladybug.
He staggered back, his single eye wide with disbelief.
"Hiss…"
A deflating sound leaked from his throat as the flames in his body rapidly faded, leaving only shock, confusion, and a trace of… sorrow?
His massive frame swayed, the burning chains falling limply with a clang.
His final gaze seemed to pierce through Locke, or perhaps toward some distant place.
"B… ain…"
A faint, blood-frothed whisper escaped his shattered chest, hoarse as wind over scorched earth.
"Please… my son…"
But Locke—
He had no idea what the man was saying.
He didn't even know who this man was or what his identity might be!
Thud!
The massive body collapsed to its knees, the burned, grief-twisted face rapidly dimming.
The chains broke apart, the hellfire silently extinguished.
The river breeze dispersed the sulfurous stench, leaving only a cooling corpse and…
Scattered blue ladybug fragments, glinting like gold under the moonlight.
Ding!
[Adoption of Dio Kent, 3,287 days completed, verification complete.]
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