The setting sun sank below the horizon, and night fell over the sky like rolling black fog, unleashing a torrential downpour!
From time to time, flashes of lightning pierced the heavens, casting momentary bursts of light.
Yet a heavy, oppressive atmosphere, like a giant hand reaching out from the abyss of a demon, shrouded the sole ancient castle in Windknight's Lot!
Inside the castle prison, a woman's agonizing and piercing shriek abruptly shattered the stillness.
"My strength is gradually returning!"
Gazing at the female corpse on the ground whose blood he had already drained, Dio stretched his limbs and spoke with an arrogant expression.
"There is a concept known as the food chain. Pigs eat grass, humans eat pigs, and I view humans as food!"
"Only by using humans as food can one be a true emperor!"
With that, Dio bent down once again to grab the corpse, exerting a slight force with his five fingers to crush the skull into pieces like an overripe watermelon.
"Time to eat, minions!"
Licking the blood from his fingers, Dio turned and left the room, feeling increasingly proud and confident in himself.
"Subjugate the wicked as my servants, and then conquer the entire world in one fell swoop!"
"JOJO, Yang Yun, enjoy the feast I have prepared for you!"
"This time, I will stand at the apex of all humanity!"
As he departed, pairs of demonic, crimson eyes suddenly flared in the darkness of the room, accompanied by the hungry, frantic roar of beasts!
In less than a moment, dozens of Zombies tore the woman completely to pieces, leaving not even a scrap of flesh and blood behind.
……
Meanwhile, because their carriage had been destroyed, Yang Yun and his companions finally arrived at Windknight's Lot after a full day and night of travel.
In the glow of the setting sun, Yang Yun and the others walked through the rice paddies, carefully observing their surroundings.
"It seems the people in this town haven't been harmed, but Dio must be hiding somewhere!"
Jonathan looked around, feeling a wave of relief in his heart, yet growing increasingly vigilant.
"Not necessarily! That man Dio is extremely cautious and almost never does anything without certainty."
"So I suspect these people weren't spared by Dio at all; rather, they were deliberately left here"
"to give you and me a false sense of tranquility and throw us off!"
Hearing Jonathan's words, Yang Yun spoke while fixing his gaze intently on the distant high tower of the ancient castle.
"If I were Dio, I would definitely choose that place for this battle!"
Jonathan had always trusted his older brother, and this time was no exception.
Just as the two of them turned to inform Zeppeli, a muffled groan of pain from Robert E.O. Speedwagon instantly caught their attention.
"What happened?" Jonathan asked hastily.
"It's nothing. Robert E.O. Speedwagon kept begging, so I just tried to see if I could help him channel some of the Ripple."
"My hand slipped, and..."
Upon being questioned, Zeppeli looked thoroughly embarrassed and awkward, his face full of apology.
Before Zeppeli could finish, a smallish boy on a small mound not far away suddenly severed a rope and, using the rebound force, launched himself forward through the air.
Throughout the maneuver, the boy never touched the ground, relying entirely on his own lightness and agility.
With lightning speed, he snatched the bags that Yang Yun and the others had dropped on the ground and headed toward a distant stream.
Seeing this, Robert E.O. Speedwagon immediately grew anxious, as those bags contained all their worldly possessions.
Yang Yun and the other two remained completely calm, having already seen through the purpose of the whole stunt.
The child was no thief at all, but a guide specifically sent to lead them to the site of the final showdown.
Thanks to the Ripple, and given that Yang Yun was a once-in-a-millennium genius with the technique, both he and Zeppeli easily stepped onto the water without sinking and waded across.
Jonathan, having trained for a shorter time, could manage the crossing, but the water rose past his shins.
Only Robert E.O. Speedwagon was left in a pitiful state, standing blankly in place at a complete loss.
In the end, Yang Yun activated Star Platinum, using its ultra-long range to lift the man bodily across from the opposite bank.
After bringing him over, faced with the others' renewed looks of confusion and awe, Yang Yun made no secret of it and immediately told them the truth.
Even if he wanted to hide the ability of a Stand, it would inevitably be exposed sooner or later.
Though that probably wouldn't happen for another hundred years or so.
Listening to Yang Yun's explanation, everyone present was astonished and amazed, marveling that such a power could exist in the world.
Yang Yun himself felt a trace of confusion; although the concept of Stands didn't officially emerge until Part 3, according to the lore, weren't some Stand Users born with the ability?
So did other Stand Users besides him exist in this era?
If so, things were about to get interesting!
By now, the child who had stolen the bag had climbed to the top of the cliff and was on the verge of reaching the summit.
"Whoosh!"
Seeing that the target was about to escape, Star Platinum reined in part of its power and punched the cliffside.
Yet even with its strength restrained, the single blow shook the earth, sending loose stones tumbling down and causing a towering fissure to split upward along the rock face!
Amidst the shattering cliff, the child was jarred out of Dio's hypnosis by the falling debris and was caught by Jonathan.
Looking at the devastation he had inadvertently caused, Yang Yun could only laugh through his frustration.
After all, his Stand possessed growth potential of A and power of A.
If the power of the Dio he fought a week ago was 100, and 20 after weakening,
then today it might have grown to 150, with 70 remaining after weakening.
That said, this sequence of events in the original story wasn't so simple; it was a trap set by Dio.
First came a horde of Zombies crawling out of the graveyard, followed by those two famous Black Knights, Bruford and Tarkus!
Tarkus, in particular, was the root cause of Zeppeli's death—and that was something Yang Yun would never permit!
Not only could the Joestar family not die, but no member of the main cast was allowed to perish on his watch!
What could fate do, even if it bound everything?
He had already saved George Joestar; this time, he would alter the established ending once again!
He believed in himself, and he believed he would succeed!
"JOJO, Master Zeppeli, protect Robert E.O. Speedwagon, and watch your footing!"
Yang Yun shouted loudly, and the setting sun finally dipped below the horizon, its last lingering rays completely fading from the final mountain peaks.
The next moment, hundreds of Zombies burst forth from the ground, attempting to grab hold of everyone's ankles.
But forewarned, the group had prepared in advance, channeling the Ripple rapidly through their bodies down to the soles of their feet.
Before the Zombies could even fully emerge, the Ripple conducted into the earth flooded their bodies.
In an instant, a chorus of shrieks rang out one after another!
In less than ten seconds, half of the Zombies had already vanished.
Those who managed to survive were left missing arms and legs.
"Mr. Joestar, Mr. Zeppeli, Mr. Yun, look up!"
Just as the group was breathing a sigh of relief that the crisis had temporarily passed, Robert E.O. Speedwagon pointed in shock toward a distant stone pillar.
"JOJO, Yang Yun, it's been a long time, my friends!"
"The sun has set, however, and it's time for you to die!"