Risotto watched his gaze fall. This was a method he had come up with on the fly, inspired by Melone's spilled blood.
Drops of blood fell onto the smooth, white floor, blossoming into beautiful flower buds. These were the blood drops of life and death.
Melone stood behind Risotto, relaying the boss's information one by one. For some reason, the first person he relayed it to was Johnson Joffrey. Melone now felt he was a reliable person.
Diavolo leaned against the doorframe, his gaze falling on the woman lying in the hospital bed. Although she had a cerebral hemorrhage and might never wake up, he was still uneasy. This feeling stemmed from his deep-seated cowardice and caution.
Who knew if some individual skilled in healing and recovery might suddenly appear in this world and wake her up? If that happened, Diavolo would truly be restless.
To put it bluntly, people ultimately seek peace of mind. Whether it's Diavolo or Kira Yoshikage, they both just want to be able to sleep soundly.
Diavolo is a complex person, yet also a simple one.
His complexity lies in his Stand Ability, his inscrutable actions, but his simplicity also lies in the fact that he can be analyzed through the behavior of an ordinary villain.
He deprives others to bring himself peace of mind.
If he hadn't trafficked drugs, or at least hadn't sold them to children, and had instead been an upright and honorable mafia godfather, he wouldn't be in his current situation.
This is also his simple side; his simplicity lies in being like an ordinary person, timid and cowardly. His timidity and cowardice make him seem like someone undeserving of the throne, yet he ascended it by chance and thereafter constantly suspects others.
"I didn't expect you to see through my King Crimson's ability," Diavolo sighed, then saw that the medicine in the IV tube had already filled half of the Murphy's drip chamber (the thicker section in the middle of the IV tube). Using the drip chamber to detect Time Erase was no longer effective.
Previously, it was because the Murphy's drip chamber was almost empty that he could discern that King Crimson had erased time.
After so many years of using King Crimson, this was the first time Diavolo had made a mistake in such a situation.
This incident annoyed him somewhat. 'This must be my weakness,' he thought. 'I've learned something; in the future, I need to pay attention to these drip chambers, as they can reveal Time Erase.'
A sharp glint flashed in Diavolo's eyes. Diverting the enemy's attention with words and then subtly using King Crimson was a common tactic for him.
"I've already seen through your ability, Boss. This contract has been made. No matter what you do, I promise, I will kill you."
"This is my revenge, please accept it."
Risotto said calmly, his demeanor different from Diavolo's smiling and mocking tone. He seemed to be speaking solemnly about something, to himself and also to Melone.
"Hmph," Diavolo sneered, "Then I'll stand right here and see how you make me accept it."
Between Risotto's fingers, unnoticed by Diavolo, blood slowly condensed and dripped onto the ground. One drop took four seconds to fall. If it were the opponent, three drops would have fallen by now. If his Time Erase was ten seconds, next time, it should become six drops—
Like a drum's heavy beat, King Crimson activated Time Erase beyond Risotto's reach—
Six drops!
The moment Risotto saw the blood suddenly turn into six drops, he quickly used his Metallica.
"Metallica!!"
Several silver knives, already crafted before he even saw Diavolo, drew a beautiful arc between him and Melone, glinting with dazzling brightness under the fluorescent lights.
Their speed was so great that by the time Melone reacted, the battle was already over.
"Bang—"
Diavolo suddenly flew out, crashing into the glass of the intensive care unit, shattering it with a loud crack. Diavolo looked at his flying self in disbelief.
He quickly got up and instinctively looked at the IV drip, but there was still no abnormality in the drip.
'How did this guy detect Time Erase?!'
'Good thing I reacted fast enough, otherwise I might have been killed.'
Diavolo gritted his teeth, his eyebrows twitching uneasily, as he climbed up from the silver-glowing glass shards.
"It's truly you, Risotto," Diavolo praised, panting. "You are a born assassin. If I had been a little closer..."
"No," Risotto coldly interrupted him, raising a finger expressionlessly and pointing at him, saying, "You were already close enough."
As these words reached Diavolo's ears, he, with his vibrant red hair flowing, stepped amidst the crunching glass shards and activated his proud ability—
Epitaph!
He wanted to see Risotto's next attack—
Wh-what?!
The vision Epitaph showed him made his face instantly change in terror—
My neck, using his Metallica to gather iron elements into a pair of scissors, and then cutting my neck with them?!
Diavolo wanted to cover his neck, but he restrained himself, knowing that doing so would expose his Epitaph's ability to see more than ten seconds into the future.
Since it had already appeared, he couldn't refuse it; even Time Erase couldn't change it.
"Metallica!!!"
Diavolo's eyes instantly widened, and immense pain shot from his neck to his brain, a pain that made his body tremble—
A pair of scissors indeed appeared on his neck, just as seen in Epitaph, and at the same time, numerous blades emerged on his right arm and forehead—
Layers upon layers of blades appeared, grotesque, like a mermaid shedding her scales—
Diavolo had no choice but to extend his fingers and literally tear open the skin on his neck.
"Clang—"
A pair of scissors fell to the ground, making a crisp echo.
"Hoo hoo hoo—"
Diavolo clutched his neck, panting heavily, then let out a low laugh.
"Risotto... you actually pushed me, Diavolo, to this extent..."
Diavolo? Risotto couldn't help but frown. Did he just say Diavolo?
"I will make you pay the price. I don't care how you saw through my Time Erase; you will surely die today."
"I must make you understand with your blood the cost of offending me, Diavolo, who is the Emperor."
Diavolo suddenly looked up, the scissors having damaged his vocal cords, producing a sound like a roar from hell—
"King Crimson!"
— — — —