"Haa... haa... haa..."
DIO stood up slowly from the impact crater on the ground, his breathing heavy but steady.
He hadn't expected [Lancer] to be hiding such a phenomenal technique.
If he hadn't achieved his current state,if his existence weren't anchored by his divinity,that blue beam would have undoubtedly reduced him to nothing but ash.
He clenched and unclenched his fists, feeling the quality of his physical frame. He took a moment to stabilize himself.
The activation of [The World Over Heaven] required a staggering amount of energy.
While he was systematically harvesting the souls of Masters and Servants to fuel his metamorphosis, the consumption remained high.
Unless absolutely necessary, he would likely need to be more selective in how he applied his reality-altering powers.
"The concept of 'buying the ticket after you board'?"
"Since this ritual was incomplete, there are bound to be fundamental flaws in the foundation."
The requirements for his ascension... while he had satisfied them using "Low-quality materials" (the citizens of Morioh) as substitutes, it wasn't a perfect transformation.
Especially the "Souls of thirty-six sinners." Only those with a truly refined and powerful spiritual pressure were fit to serve as proper sacrifices.
The common people of this town simply lacked the weight required for a total, flawless evolution.
"But... as long as I eliminate the remaining Masters and Servants, I can systematically adjust the discrepancy."
DIO cracked his neck and turned his gaze toward the horizon.
The [Kamehameha] had blasted him quite a distance from the hospital.
"I can't sense any indication of them fleeing. It seems they've made their peace with the inevitable."
The massive, white frame vanished from the spot, heading back toward the center of the conflict.
***
"Archer."
"That is the extent of the information Subaru-san shared with me."
Miyu spoke as she ran through the empty streets, relaying the details of her telepathic communication.
"..."
Homura Akemi didn't offer a reply. She simply stopped in her tracks, standing in the middle of the road with a cold, silent expression.
"?"
Miyu stopped as well, turning back to look at her.
"Do you really intend to go there?"
Homura looked at the girl, seeing a flicker of determination in her eyes that felt hauntingly familiar.
"Running away would likely be the most logical choice, wouldn't it?"
"But as a participant chosen for this war... I can't bring myself to do that."
Listening to Miyu's words, a familiar wave of memory washed over Homura.
"Why?"
She didn't understand. She couldn't comprehend how the girl could possess such an unwavering sense of duty.
If DIO truly possessed the ability to [Overwrite] reality, then any soul captured by him was lost forever.
Attempting to fight such a monster was nothing more than throwing one's life into a furnace.
"All those people who have been dragged into this... the innocent lives..."
"This has nothing to do with you. And neither do the other Masters or Servants we've fought. There is no logical necessity for you to help any of them."
"I just want to save them. That's all there is to it."
Despite her limited understanding of the world's "Common knowledge," Miyu knew that she couldn't just stand by while others suffered.
If this war was connected to project she was part of, then she felt a responsibility to see it through to the end.
"Archer... why did you want to become a magical girl in the first place?"
"..."
That final question, left hanging in the air, forced Homura back into a silent, internal conflict.
She finally realized where that sense of familiarity was coming from.
'Hey... let's just run away.'
'Because... there's really nothing we can do!'
'Nobody's going to hate you for it.'
Distant, painful memories flashed through her mind as the figure of Miyu vanished farther down the empty street.
Homura didn't follow. She made no move to bridge the distance.
Her presence in this war was dedicated to a single, absolute goal: saving Madoka Kaname.
To prevent her from ever becoming a magical girl, Homura was willing to use the Dragon Balls to erase every possible tragedy.
The fate of Morioh, the logic of this world, the lives of the other participants... none of it mattered to her.
If she could achieve her objective, she didn't care about the methods or the casualties.
And throwing her life away for a group of strangers did not serve her interests.
This was precisely why she didn't rush to follow Miyu.
What the girl was trying to do was, in Homura's estimation, a meaningless and suicidal gesture.
She, Homura Akemi, would not risk her life or her temporal restoration for these people.
***
"Your Stand is certainly a versatile one."
Subaru offered the praise as he looked at the words Rohan had written into his arm. He was amazed at the practical application of [Heaven's Door].
"Conceptually, it's tied to the strength of my own mental will."
"I can't perform feats that defy all common sense. For instance, without Assassin's specialized support, I wouldn't be able to bestow the ability to move within a [Time Stop]."
"But you... the fact that you could even conceive of such a strategy is impressive in its own right."
Rohan offered the explanation with a shake of his head. He didn't take the credit for himself; it was Subaru's creative thinking that had provided the opening.
"But it's enough for now."
"The situation is far more catastrophic than I feared."
"Goku didn't manage to finish him."
Sensing that his contract with his Servant had been severed, Subaru looked toward the distant point where the blue light had vanished.
"Zero-Go... Goku lost?"
Koichi asked, a mounting sense of dread in his voice.
"Against the current DIO, it's nearly impossible for Goku to deliver a terminal blow."
"In fact, if he was touched even once, his entire [Existence] might have been erased."
"This is going to be an uphill battle from here on out."
"Honestly... I don't even know if any of us are making it out of this alive."
As he spoke, Subaru looked up. A silhouette was now standing on the roof of the hospital, watching them with a cold, divine gaze.
"DIO!"
Josuke shouted the name, his eyes locked on the monster above.
"Hoho. To think that after witnessing the defeat of [Berserker] and [Lancer], you still possess the 'Courage' to stand and face me instead of fleeing..."
"Could it be that those clever, arrogant minds of yours have actually fashioned a 'Strategy' that you believe can bring me down?"
DIO looked down at the group,Josuke, Sakuya, Rohan, Amber, Koichi, and Subaru,with a look of genuine, predatory amusement.
"We won't know until we try!"
Josuke's shout was the signal. Sakuya immediately split herself into multiple temporal clones, manifesting behind the group in a protective formation.
"Hmph. Temporal acceleration?"
"In my presence... such things are nothing more than a child's game."
DIO offered the dismissive sneer.
True to his word, before Josuke or the others could even begin their move, he had already descended with a speed that defied perception. He stood in the center of their circle.
"Assassin!"
"Caster!"
They spun around to see [The World Over Heaven]'s massive, white hands locking onto Amber and one of Sakuya's clones.
"Ugh!"
"Ah!"
Amber tried to deliver a strike to the Stand's abdomen, but her foot met only an immovable, divine resistance.
Her combat experience, while high for a human, was utterly insignificant against the physical pressure of a Stand of this caliber.
'I can't... I can't break free...'
She watched as Sakuya's time-clone was systematically dissolved into light and inhaled by DIO. She realized her own fate was already sealed.
DIO had targeted her first with calculated precision to ensure they lost their primary support.
The vampire clearly understood the nature of the "Support" she provided.
"Without this creature... Rohan Kishibe, you lose your ability to act within the frozen world of [Time Stop], don't you?"
DIO's cold laughter echoed through the courtyard, a sound of absolute triumph.
"By the power of my Command Spell... Assassin! To my side!!"
"Hmph! PUNY! PUNY!!"
Rohan immediately tried to use his Command Spell to trigger a teleportation, but DIO had already initiated the [Overwrite].
The contract between Rohan and Amber dissolved in a single second. She turned into a stream of white light and was pulled into DIO's frame.
"My success today is entirely thanks to those of you who dared to toy with the flow of time..."
"This is your punishment for your arrogance!"
"HAHAHAHAHA!!!"
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika_Kagura]