Creating Anime In A Fantasy World

Chapter 251: The Premiere of JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure! (Part 13)

Imperial Mage Academy

Compared to ordinary folk, the mages displayed far more composure at the sudden appearance of a vampire.

Of course, that composure only went so far. Even a skilled mage, without proper preparation, would find themselves utterly powerless before such a monster.

At present, the hall buzzed with heated discussion as the gathered mages debated: how exactly could one destroy a vampire?

“Ordinary vampires abhor sunlight, and spells imbued with holy light can suppress them. But unlike your typical undead, they’re far more resistant. A simple holy light spell will only weaken their bodies—it won’t erase them completely.”

“That’s right. In the ancient days, hunting vampires was never the job of a lone warrior. It always required a full party of adventurers—priests to weaken their strength, swordsmen to hold the line, and mages to unleash infernos that could burn them down to ash. Only then was there a chance to kill one for good.”

“In comparison, the humans in this film are far too fragile. Relying solely on brute force, there’s no way they could ever slay a vampire.”

“Jonathan and the others… they’re in serious trouble.”

The voices fell quiet. Even the mages, for all their confidence, could not come up with a plausible way to defeat a vampire like Dio—not when the battlefield was set, and no preparations had been made.

High atop the Mage Tower, the Arch Mages reached the same conclusion. None of them believed mere mortals could stand against such an overwhelming creature.

The Joestar household was bound for a blood-soaked tragedy.

. . . .

The Southern Territory Grand Duke’s estate

Inside the ducal estate, Constantine’s expression hardened as he followed the unfolding story. Clearly, he too was racking his mind for a way to resolve this crisis.

How could an ordinary man hope to resist a vampire whose strength, speed, and regenerative power all dwarfed those of humankind?

The duke even admitted to himself—if he were cast into that scene, stripped of his title and magic, left with nothing but a mortal’s body—he doubted he could bring down such a foe head-on.

And if even Constantine, a veteran who had stared down countless battlefields, could not imagine a solution… then what hope did anyone else have?

Save for Arcueid, every face in the room wore the same grim mix of tension and dread.

As for Arcueid herself, her gaze did not waver. The film had stirred something inside her, yes—but rather than fear, there was an almost eager glimmer in her eyes. As though she had glimpsed something she had long awaited.

. . . .

Durin Tavern

Back at the tavern, the patrons were just as restless, anxiety bubbling in the air. One after another, they pressed Edward for answers.

Would Dio really be stopped? Or was this the end?

Edward, however, only chuckled, clearly unwilling to spoil the outcome. Still, he humored them with a small hint.

“To tell you the truth, we had to shoot this scene several times back then. It’s not a flashy battle—no grand magic, no elaborate special effects—but the way it was staged… the tension, the raw intensity… it carried a weight all its own.”

“Wait—battle? There’s a battle after this?” Helena blurted out, unable to contain herself.

Edward only nodded lightly.

That simple gesture left the tavern crowd stunned. How could a handful of ordinary men possibly stand their ground against a monster like that?

But before they could even puzzle it out, the story on the silver screen marched on.

. . .

On the Screen.

Dio stepped forward, striding arrogantly through the hail of bullets, each shot bouncing harmlessly from his unholy body.

The policemen faltered, fear twisting their faces as they realized the futility of their weapons.

Jonathan, too, held a gun in his trembling hand. Yet as Dio advanced upon him, step by step, he could not bring himself to pull the trigger.

“Dio!”

In that instant, it was Speedwagon who acted in his stead—raising the pistol and firing the shot Jonathan could not.

The bullet pierced straight through Dio’s skull—yet it had no effect. Unfazed, the man kept walking, each step measured and calm.

“H-how is that possible?! He— he didn’t die?!” Speedwagon’s voice cracked with terror. “But I saw it! The bullet hit him in the head! This makes no sense—I can’t wrap my head around it!”

Jonathan, too, faltered. Confusion flashed in his eyes as he struggled to comprehend the nightmare unfolding before him.

Meanwhile, Dio merely licked the blood trickling down his forehead and let out a chilling laugh.

“JoJo… I now possess a power far beyond anything you can imagine. The Stone Mask… and your father’s blood have given it to me!”

With those words, he seized a nearby policeman by the throat and crushed him as easily as wringing a bird’s neck. A guttural cry escaped his lips—an eerie, drawn-out “WRRRRY!”

“He’s… draining their life force?!” Jonathan gasped, dread seizing his chest. “What in the world has Dio turned into?”

But when his gaze fell upon his father’s lifeless body, something shifted within him. The fear in his heart ignited into a fierce determination. He strode forward, seizing the spear held by a marble statue and wrenching it free.

“Don’t do it! That monster’s power is already far beyond human limits!” Speedwagon shouted desperately.

Jonathan answered with calm, steady eyes.

“I know. Truth be told, I’m terrified. But Dio… I cannot allow you to walk this world any longer. This is my burden—my duty. I will be the one to end this.”

“Joestar! Stop—you’ll be killed!” Speedwagon cried.

But Jonathan gave no reply. His mind was already racing, searching desperately for some way—any way—to defeat Dio.

It was then that a corpse lying on the ground suddenly twitched. To everyone’s horror, the slain policeman staggered upright once more, his eyes glazed, his movements feral. With a beast’s snarl, he lunged at Speedwagon, jaws wide to sink into living flesh.

Speedwagon froze, terror locking his body in place—he nearly lost control of himself then and there. But Jonathan moved in an instant, thrusting the spear with precise force. He impaled the creature, tearing through its skull and sending its body crumpling lifelessly to the floor once again.

In that moment, Jonathan realized it—the only way to destroy a vampire was to annihilate its brain.

“Even if they’ve become monsters… it pains me to do this. Father… please, grant me the strength I need! I must steel my will. Dio is no longer human—he’s a creature of darkness!”

Resolve blazed in his eyes. As Dio lunged at him, Jonathan raised his spear high, his voice ringing with defiance.

“Dio! I will never allow you to take another life!”

With a roar, he drove the spear forward, piercing through Dio’s arm and halting his assault.

“You… stopped him?!” Speedwagon’s eyes widened in disbelief.

But Dio only laughed, lips curling into a sneer. With a casual flex of his hand—crack!—he shattered Jonathan’s spear like brittle wood.

“Too weak… far too weak!” Dio bellowed, his gaze turning down upon Jonathan with the cold disdain of a man crushing an insect.