Chapter 221. DIO's Stand Ability is... trolling Stairs?!

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  What just happened?

  Or rather, why did Polnareff step back!?

  The words he spoke, along with the fighting spirit emanating from him, shouldn't have led him to retreat!

  Not only were the viewers who had been eagerly awaiting Polnareff's battle with DIO shocked, but even Polnareff himself, within “Stardust Crusaders”, stared in stunned sile the step that now seemed to be behind him.

  "This...I defiook a step forward...didn’t I...!?"

  His words were fragmented, his voieasy.

  Even without seeing the cold sweat on Polnareff's face, it was easy to imagine just how shaken he was at this moment.

  Why?

  Was it a Stand attack?

  But how?

  Did DIO make any move to activate his Stand?

  Polnareff was absolutely certain his senses were razor-sharp! Like someog a horror film alo night, even the slightest movement should have beeo him in this teate.

  A, he saw nothing?

  He was forced back without even a flicker of doubt—a terror beyond any horror story!

  “What’s wrong? You’re wavering, Polnareff. This wavering...does it mean you still fear me?”

  DIO's calm voice drifted to Polnareff, peeling back a yer of his most unwilling truths, “Or perhaps, deep down, you truly want to move forward but are so terrified your body unsciously retreats?”

  “...”

  …

  “A Stand attack! This has to be a Stand attack!”

  Uhe questioning Polnareff, who was nearly paralyzed with fear, the viewers watg as unseen observers were far clearer on what was happening.

  Knowing the nature of a full-dive story, they quickly realized that DIO’s as weren't a filming error.

  It was all withiory's design!

  What kind of power could create su impossible effect within “Stardust Crusaders”?

  Only a Stand could.

  The audience ighe possibility that DIO might be speaking the truth. They knew his character too well to trust his words. Furthermore, having seen Polnareff’s ret resolve in his dedicated episode, they couldn’t believe he’d submit so easily to DIO’s intimidating aura.

  Besides, if Polnareff were truly afraid, he wouldn’t still be trying so hard to step forward and reach DIO!

  But then...

  “Wait, isn’t DIO’s Stand supposed to be simir to [Hermit Purple], like some kind of vine-like Stand?”

  “Why is he showing such a pletely different Stand power!?”

  Uo hold back his doubts, Sora murmured.

  He felt like his brain was short-circuiting, and evehe energy to turn to Shiro for crification.

  Because this was different.

  As the final boss of “Stardust Crusaders”, and marked as the main antagonist sihe beginning, DIO had been g with Jotaro’s group from the very first episode, even if ily.

  Not only through Stand assassio attack them but alsh the psychic transmission duels between DIO and Joseph’s [Hermit Purple].

  Joseph wao use psychic to locate DIO, while DIO, having a simir Stand, could sehis psychiion, interfere with Joseph’s readings, and even transmit his own psychic back to reveal Joseph's location!

  This was why, despite multiple travel ges and routes, DIO’s Stand users could always locate and ambush Jotaro’s group.

  [Hermit Purple], as one of the most powerful intelligehering Stands, could materialize informatioand user didn’t even know, demonstrating its terrifying utility!

  But more than that, everything, from i clues to literal appearances, poio DIO possessing a simir Stand to [Hermit Purple].

  So, why was DIO now dispying this power that looked nothing like [Hermit Purple]?

  “Brother, stairs and psychic,” Shiro said as he tugged on Sora’s sleeve, pointing at the se.

  “Stairs and psychic? …Could it be!?”

  Sora’s eyes suddenly widened, his fusioing into realization thanks to Shiro’s clue.

  “I see, that’s it, Shiro!” He smiled fidently. “It takes both of us to make an uable team!”

  The secret of DIO’s Stand had been cracked!

  “Think about it—just as each Stand user only has oand, DIO’s must also be the [Hermit Purple]-like Stand we saw before—[The World].”

  “My fusion was exactly that—[Hermit Purple] could really have such a power?”

  “In fact, [Hermit Purple]’s powers make it possible!”

  Looking at DIO’s fident expression in “Stardust Crusaders”, Sora mirrored the same fidence, saying, “Just as Joseph used psychic to create a sand map, DIO simply psychic-imbued the floor!”

  “Yes! This eerie Stand power—DIO’s true ability—is trolling stairs! He trol the stairs with his Stand power!!”

  Kurato6180