You call this a projection?

”To think he’d wake up so quickly?

It seems that not only [Osiris], but even [Whitesnake] has a weakness I was unaware of...”

Watching Shirou Emiya snap awake before he could even take action—and even more so, seeing him swiftly lead Jotaro Kujo and the others in a retreat—DIO felt his vigilance toward Shirou deepen once again.

A ”Prophet” was truly an unreasonable existence. After all, bringing Father Pucci along had been a complete whim on his part, even an accidental occurrence.

DIO had met Father Pucci in 1987. Although he had given the ”Arrow” to Pucci (who wasn’t a priest yet) back then, it was because the Arrow had chosen Pucci, proving he had the talent to awaken a Stand. DIO, acting on his collector’s impulse, had gifted it to him. As for when the Arrow would stimulate Pucci to awaken his Stand, whether he would come looking for DIO, or when he would do so... these were things even DIO couldn’t have predicted.

Yet, Shirou Emiya acted as if he knew in advance that Father Pucci would come. He had even prepared countermeasures for [Whitesnake]!? DIO, unaware that this was also a coincidence, found Shirou more and more preposterous the more he looked at him. Especially since Shirou had now separated from Joseph and the others...

Does that make sense? Without Joseph’s cooperation, how could Shirou Emiya use [Pseudo-Osiris] to seize his soul? Unless...

—”This Prophet has more than one way to break the ability of [The World]!? ...DIO, after seeing me separate from Mr. Joestar and the others, that’s likely what you’re thinking, isn’t it?”

Clad in the flame of life-detection, Shirou Emiya could clearly feel a surge of Stand energy rushing toward him. He thought with a slight curl of his lip:

—”To prevent me from doing something while you’re not looking, you will definitely abandon the pursuit of Mr. Joestar’s group for now and choose to catch up with me first.”

Of course, it would be different if Jotaro Kujo had exposed the fact that he could also stop time prematurely. But before that, based on the words D’Arby had spoken, the [Pseudo-Osiris] he had shown DIO, and the ”Prophet” persona he had cultivated, his threat level in DIO’s heart had likely long surpassed Jotaro and the others.

—”But this threat is only temporary.”

—”DIO, you see me as a threat only because my existence is a variable to you—an existence that makes you feel uneasy.”

—”Once you sense something is wrong, or rather, if you fail to feel the threat you imagined from me in this game of cat and mouse, you—who are already suspicious of why I separated from the Joestars—will naturally turn that suspicion toward Mr. Joestar, or even Jotaro.”

—”Even though you’ve likely arranged for your subordinate Stand users to pursue them while you chase me.”

During his escape, Shirou deliberately circled the restaurant Joseph had previously photographed several times. This ensured that most areas inside fell within the 15-meter range of his life-detection flames, allowing him to sense the intermittent Stand energy reactions within and determine where they ultimately headed.

It wasn’t hard for Shirou to guess DIO’s plan. Rather, this was their objective to begin with. Compared to the original story where it ended with DIO in a one-on-one duel against Jotaro’s group, the present reality altered by Shirou included far too many Stand users brought along by DIO.

Do not underestimate this change. For instance, if the original DIO—who could stop time for nine seconds at the end—hadn’t wasted seven seconds looking for a steamroller, but had instead chosen to throw Alessi’s [Sethan] so that Jotaro stepped right into its shadow... then no matter how Jotaro’s spirit grew through rage or how many seconds his Time Stop extended, it would all be regressed by [Sethan’s] ability. After all, [Sethan’s] regression doesn’t just revert age and appearance; it reverts and erases memories. It would make Jotaro forget he could stop time, or even revert his body to a time before he obtained a Stand.

With so many helpers now, and with a Time Stop longer than Jotaro’s, DIO could truly accomplish many things. Wasn’t their unknowing fall into [Whitesnake’s] ability just a moment ago proof of that?

—”Since you want to see a threat so badly, DIO, I’ll give you plenty to look at.”

—”After all, this is the first time I’ve done something like this...”

—Trace on!!

-

-

-

”Finally stopped? I thought you’d run a bit further.”

Facing Shirou Emiya, who had suddenly halted his steps, DIO stopped as well. He looked at the flames on Shirou’s body with interest and said, ”That’s the fire of [Magician’s Red], isn’t it?

While I was repeatedly stopping time to approach you, it seems you relied on the perception of these flames to quickly pinpoint my location the moment time resumed.

And this perception distance...”

With that, DIO suddenly vanished and reappeared in another spot. After seeing Shirou clearly hesitate for a while—only turning his gaze after DIO had already taken several steps forward—DIO smiled with absolute confidence: ”It’s roughly a 15-meter radius centered on you.

The combination of Hamon and fire makes it difficult for me to defeat you within the brief Time Stop of [The World]. And this fire ability, which allows you to quickly sense my appearance after the Time Stop ends, prevents you from being unable to respond to my attacks. Taken together, it is indeed a troublesome Stand. But surely you don’t think such a combination can defeat DIO, or even stop me?

If that’s all, then you, as a Prophet, are truly a fool!”

He did not retreat. Having tested that the range of the life-detection flames was only 15 meters, DIO stepped within that distance, a smile still on his face as he advanced toward Shirou. He did this to prove his absolute self-confidence!

”Of course not. I never thought that the ability of [Pseudo-Magician’s Red] alone could defeat you.”

Shirou shook his head.

”But when did I ever say this was my trump card?

I’ll give you one last hint, DIO.”

He didn’t retreat either. A smile mirrored on his own face, Shirou walked toward DIO, completely unafraid of the 10-meter range of [The World].

”Time... is about to accelerate!”

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