Chapter 48: [Silver Chariot's] Eyesight is Less Than Ideal
Because DIO failed to see the entire process of the [Pseudo-Silver Chariot's] armor being equipped—or rather, because Shirou Emiya specifically timed it so that the process was obscured by the smoke from the armor purge—DIO's mind was now a total blank.
Terrified by Shirou's earlier remark that "Time is about to accelerate" and the "Prophet" persona Shirou had meticulously cultivated, DIO even began to question his own reality.
Of course, one cannot truly blame him. Not just DIO, but any transmigrator who had read Part 6 of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure would feel the same. Seeing Shirou carried by [Pseudo-Silver Chariot], hearing him talk about time accelerating, and witnessing the god-tier attack speed of the unarmored Stand...
It was a speed that would make even Jotaro Kujo break out in a cold sweat. Others would be hit before they could even react; they simply couldn't keep up with Shirou's movement speed. This scene was all too familiar to anyone who knew the series.
Wasn't this basically [Made in Heaven]!?
However, as DIO tried to reason, one of the conditions for reaching "Heaven" was his own Stand. Even Father Pucci, who successfully reached Heaven after DIO's death, required the Green Baby as a substitute. How could Shirou Emiya, who didn't meet a single requirement, possibly achieve it?
Therefore, Shirou's "Time Acceleration" was merely him being carried at high speeds by [Pseudo-Silver Chariot] after its armor had been wrapped around his body. It was a Stand ability that, once explained, was nothing extraordinary.
—"However, DIO, will you actually believe this is just an ordinary high-speed movement ability?"
—"No, your caution won't allow you to think that way."
—"Having stepped into this linguistic trap from the start, seeing my sudden acceleration will only make you wonder exactly when I reached 'Heaven'."
Time resumed its flow. Although Shirou lacked a special sense for time and didn't know exactly when DIO stopped or resumed it, he had [Pseudo-Magician's Red]! By the power of Projection magecraft, Shirou easily bypassed the rule of "one person, one Stand," much like using [Whitesnake's] Stand DISCs.
While maintaining high-speed movement with [Pseudo-Silver Chariot], he used the fire propulsion of [Pseudo-Magician's Red] to compensate for the stat drop caused by Projection. He also used the perception of the life-detection flames to substitute for [Pseudo-Silver Chariot's] eyesight.
Consequently, while Shirou seemed to vanish before DIO's eyes, he never actually left the 15-meter radius. He simply hid using nearby buildings and tracked DIO's "teleportation."
—"While it's fun to keep scaring you, a trick is just a trick. If you truly calm down, DIO, it won't be hard to find the flaws in my deception."
—"At the very least, I can't actually accelerate time and make the world move faster along with me."
This time, it was the legs. Even though DIO was now on high alert after recovering during the Time Stop, it was like Part 6: no matter how vigilant Jotaro and the others were, Father Pucci still pushed them to the brink of annihilation.
The only reason Shirou hadn't cut off DIO's head was that [Silver Chariot] is effectively blind. Shirou's projected [Pseudo-Silver Chariot] inherited this side effect, relying entirely on the life-detection flames to lock onto targets. This level of precision was naturally not ideal.
—"But I only need to force you to keep stopping time."
—"Keep stopping time until you lose your sense of real-time perception."
—"When Jotaro arrives, he can stop time the moment yours ends and finish you off."
—"My mission will be complete then."
This was the strategy Shirou had discussed with Jotaro's group. He would distract DIO, giving Joseph and the others time to use their knowledge to eliminate DIO's other Stand-using subordinates.
Simultaneously, he would exhaust DIO's Time Stop so that Jotaro—who had finally learned the ability with the "help" of DIO and Pucci—could find the perfect opening for a fatal blow.
—"Until then, DIO, struggle in your fear."
Shirou didn't attempt a follow-up. Unsure of the cooldown on DIO's Time Stop, he stuck to a hit-and-run tactic. Before DIO could freeze time again, Shirou used the high speed of [Pseudo-Silver Chariot] to hide once more, leaving the legless DIO to howl in "impotent rage."
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"The first time was half my body, the second time my legs...
I had prepared myself beforehand, but unless Joseph failed to tell the Prophet about vampire traits, or the Prophet didn't foresee it... he must know these injuries have little effect on me.
In other words, the precision of that Prophet's Stand is likely lower than I imagined!"
Impotent rage? Just as Shirou could disguise his Stand as [Made in Heaven], DIO could fake a mental breakdown to lure Shirou into a trap. Besides, the premise of "impotent rage" is the inability to do anything.
But DIO was far from helpless.
It wasn't just this piece of information. In this world of stopped time, DIO was actually looking on coldly at the sight of the legless "DIO" frozen in the middle of a scream!?
DIO and "DIO"? There were two DIOs!?
Not only that, but the DIO watching coldly was also holding a photograph. In a previous Time Stop, he had used a purple thorn Stand—similar to [Hermit Purple]—to conduct spirit photography on the things he wanted to know.
"Lacking precision? Or a deliberate choice? ...Hmph, it doesn't matter! No matter what you, the Prophet, are thinking, fate is on the side of DIO!
As long as I can reach this place...!!"
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