This is it, everyone! The final chapter! I've got nothing else too say until the end! Just read on and enjoy!

Ch. 42
Sacred Heart

JANUARY 16TH, 1989
16:25
CAIRO, EGYPT

There are some lines in life that should never be crossed. For Joaquín, he drew his at his family and friends. If anything were to ever happen to them, he would make whoever was responsible pay dearly. And yet, there was one man who continuously crossed them all. He threatened the world with his mysterious plans, made his mother fatally sick, and sent countless assassins to kill him and his friends. Not to mention the century-long grudge he sought to settle with the Joestars.

But it did not stop there. Within the span of a few hours, DIO had done the unthinkable and crossed the most important of lines. Three of his friends were dead, his brother and girlfriend were injured… And just now, his grandfather, the first link to his new family after losing his father and grandmother, had just been drained of his blood. Up until now, nobody had ever pushed him to the breaking point. But when he saw Joseph's body desecrated, that was the final straw.

He would kill him for everything.

With his running start, he leaped into the air, ready for him to follow and try to attack. The vampire summoned his Stand and did exactly that, gleefully shouting, "THE WORLD! TIME HAS STOPPED!" His ascent halted, but not the one of the man who controlled this world of stopped time. Level with his prey, he let out a triumphant and crazed "WRRRYYY!" He didn't strike, instead counting down the seconds as he waited for his opponent to move.

"One second has passed! Two seconds have passed! Three seconds have passed!"

At "three", Joaquín's Stand shot out and began to punch at The World, the two swiftly trading blows. His blows were harder and louder than ever thanks to his user's fierce rage, but the other simply struck back with just as much strength. After a second, their fists stopped one another, only for Preciosa to graze and shatter it. DIO's hand tore apart as a result and left him open to several powerful blows. And just before he could land one last blow, he froze mid punch. As did his user.

"Five seconds… have passed," the vampire announced, floating away unconcernedly. He didn't seem too phased by his injuries. But this wasn't the odd thing about what was happening. It was that after five seconds, after Joaquín moved two seconds, time was still frozen. As for DIO…

"Six seconds… have passed…"

He was able to increase his time.

And to show just how much more powerful he had gotten, his hand had quickly mended itself without needing to suck any blood. "Seven seconds have passed! I can still feel the power! I can still keep it up! The Joestar blood has adapted well to me after all! And incidentally, Joaquín… you… can't move anymore!"

It was very infuriating. He couldn't move anymore than he already had. And now he was at the mercy of DIO, whose newly-founded power had increased his Stand's ability. It was his fault he ended up throwing himself into this situation. As he watched him gloat and laugh, he couldn't help but think, Abuelito… You were right… Things have gotten worse… But… the only reason why.. is cause I'm not pissed off enough..! I need to get angrier!

"Eight seconds have passed!" He hummed happily, floating like some manic jester in the air. "Indeed! I feel so refreshed! I feel like breaking out into song! It feels so good!" And indeed, he hummed a disjointed song before it devolved into a giddy, unhinged laugh.

"It's been one hundred years since I attained immortality." And to show how truly far gone and invulnerable he was, he jammed a finger into his temple and happily whirled it around. "But never! To any extent! Have I felt in better shape! Heh heh heh heh! And it's all thanks to the Joestar's blood within me! It suits me better than any other I've had!" His finger spun faster, more frantic. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head.

If he wasn't already, DIO had finally lost his sanity

"This is the ultimate HIGH of all," he screamed, throwing his head back in maniacal laughter. Joaquín wanted so badly to move, to kill him and wipe that smirk off his face. But he just couldn't. He needed so desperately to get angrier. With his mental breakdown finished, the maniac hovered to him and continued to gloat. "Nine seconds have passed! I have stopped it for nine seconds! But for now… that seems to be the current limit to my time stop…"

The World came back into view, everything began to move around him again. And by the time Joaquín felt it, his body was being pummeled by the diamond-hard fists of his enemy's monstrous Stand. Ribs, femurs, and who knows what other bones were shattering under his high-speed assault. He couldn't stop it, and the last strike sent him flying straight into DIO's path. He was immediately kicked away, rocketing right through a large, neon letter R.

"Y-You bastard," he shouted, watching his foe lunging straight for him.

"My Stand's power is fully unleashed," he called back. "And you, Joaquín! Your fury means nothing to me now! Muda muda muda MUDA!"

Preciosa tried to block the other Stand's oncoming spin kick, but he was broken through. The impact only sped up his uncontrollable flight. And in the middle of it, he could see just where he was about to land: straight into the river. There was nothing to stop him from splashing all across the cold surface like some thrown rock. He eventually stopped and rested above the surface, only to see something else flying at him. Something larger and made of wood, carried by the mad vampire.

"NOW SINK, WHY DON'T YOU?!"

He could barely react before the gigantic ship was thrown, slamming into and slowly sinking him into the depths. DIO was trying to drown him, suffer the same fate he once had with no survival. It was too heavy to get off, to move out from. Adding to the broken bones he had suffered, it was almost impossible to break free.

Not yet, he thought desperately. I can't go down yet..! My anger's not enough..! Angrier… Get angrier, god damnit..!

He thought about everything that happened tonight, all the pain and death he had witnessed. The hands Mohamed left behind, the light leaving Iggy's eyes, the bloody hole in Noriaki's gakuran, the knives in his brother and grandfather's necks, the lasers piercing Della… And the woman, thousands of miles away, who only had hours to live before her sickness killed her. All thanks to the man who threw this boat at him. Everything he and his friends endured was all because of him.

He found the anger he needed and unleashed it.

Preciosa pushed off the vessel and landed onto the riverbed, rocketing straight up through the ship until they both erupted through the pluming water along with its debris. Joaquín then let out a primal, throat-tearing roar of his enemy's name, the man who would die for all his crimes. "DIIIOOO!"

The maniac laughed happily and leapt from the street onto the debris, straight for his enemy. The two punched one another, the impact of which sent Joaquín flying away. There were no buildings or structures he could grab or latch onto. Just a straight path back into the city. He only stopped when he flew into a trolley, nearly detaching it from its wires. Whatever passengers he didn't fly into nearly fell over as their transport rocked violently from the crash.

Groaning and aching, he sat up off the people beneath him and mutter a pained apology. Just as he said this, the shocked and confused Egyptians gasped as the hole he came from was torn open. DIO slowly stepped in, towering over everyone like some great monster. Some of them broke from the frightened crowd and confronted him, shouting angrily at him in their native language. They clearly wanted him gone, but were none the wiser to what he was capable of.

Knowing who they were arguing with, Joaquín hurriedly warned them, "Run! Get away from him!"

"Out of my way, you insects" commanded DIO, swiping and tearing through some of them. Blood splashed everywhere, and the victims of the thoughtless attack fell over in lifeless piles. Those spared finally understood what kind of monster he was and ran away screaming. The only ones left were the prey and the predator, who licked lustfully at his soaked hand. "Those who stand between me and the stairway to heaven… shall die…"

He just wouldn't stop. Everything he did just continued to stoke the flames of anger within Joaquín. Those were innocent people, he thought, his body quaking. They did nothing wrong and you just killed them like they were nothing..! You… are nothing but pure, disgusting evil, you fucking piece of SHIT!

Without warning, Preciosa shot out and grabbed him hard, throwing him out through the opposite the wall with a fierce "¡TOMA!" He then pummeled the roof of the trolley before tearing himself and his user out, both kicking off the ruined transport in pursuit of their foe. He had landed some miles away in the street, wasting no time and putting his arm through a van door. With his inhuman strength, he flung the entire vehicle right at his oncoming target.

Joaquín was able to roll out of the way with a well-timed tap against it. Then came the truck immediately after, too close to dodge like he just did. Preciosa punched it away and rebounded towards one of the buildings, landing beside its tall spire. He hadn't moment to think of his next move when he saw DIO jumping after him, his laugh echoing menacingly throughout the city.

"It feels incredible," he shouted, "this surge of power!"

"THEN YOU BETTER ENJOY IT WHILE IT LASTS," Joaquín roared. His Stand buried his arm into the tower and dragged it right across, letting it topple over. He then grabbed the falling structure, his user climbing into its hollow inside, and chucked it with all his might like some makeshift torpedo. It should have been impossible, and it was most certainly insane. But he did it. With all the rage flowing through them both, nothing felt impossible anymore.

It didn't take long for the tower to reach its target, who could be heard rapidly breaking away at it. This was the moment Joaquín had been waiting for, his surprise attack to catch him off guard. When he had gotten close enough, he burst out from what remained and began to punch DIO. He didn't even bring out his Stand to fight back, blocking the powerful blows as if they were nothing. Having had enough, he broke the barrage, aimed for his face and shouted, "Foolish cheap trick!"

The blow was blocked aside. And for a brief moment, their eyes locked. He could see just how primal and insane he truly was. There was so much darkness within him, as immutable as Erina had described him. Whatever beauty he had before tore away to reveal his true ugliness beneath. He was an animal, a black-hearted individual whose evil knew know bounds. And with his body restored beyond his normal strength, there was no stopping him.

The next thing he knew, he was flying away from the wrecked projectile, plummeting towards a long bridge over the river. Preciosa held on and protected him as they skid across the road. Once he came to a stop and looked up, he could see the figure of his mortal enemy flying at him in the distance.

"My little warm-up is over," he exclaimed with malevolent joy. "Now, without pause, my last attack! My true final time stop! Within the stillness of the next nine seconds, I shall claim victory! THE WORLD!"

The whole world stopped, its inhabitants, its noise, all to a grinding halt. The man who brought this about landed before him, taking a moment to relish the sight of his vulnerable foe. He looked ready to kill him, but rather than strike, he simply jumped out of sight. And all Joaquín was left with in the frozen silence were his thoughts.

What the hell is he planning..?

One second had passed

He had the opportunity to attack me…

Two seconds had passed.

So why did DIO…

Three seconds had passed.

… just disappear like that..?

Four seconds had passed.

Damnit… I don't have time to think like this… No matter what DIO does, no matter how he can attack me next, I only have two seconds to counter him… I just need to use that time wisely and hit him hard with Preciosa…

Five seconds had passed.

If there's one thing I know… for certain… The minute I see his mug… I'll probably… go fucking crazy on him…

Six seconds had passed.

Bring it on… DIO..!

Seven seconds had passed. Right on cue, a large shadow began looming over Joaquín. And it was about to crash down on him.

"ROAD ROLLER," DIO screamed, dropping down with a massive steam roller beneath him. Preciosa emerged and stopped it's flattening wheel from crushing them. He couldn't believe it. This was what he had planned. He was taking advantage of his limited movement time, seconds before the time stop finished. This piece of machinery was going to be his demise. But Joaquín wouldn't let it end here. He needed to win. He needed to defeat him.

He needed to fight back!

With what little strength and rage left he could muster, his Preciosa began to pummel away at the wheel with a ferocious, endless roar of "¡TOMATOMATOMA!" He would not go down as easily as the vampire would hope.

"TOO LATE," bellowed DIO. "THERE'S NO ESCAPE!" He in turn began to pound rapidly on the vehicle from above, a merciless stream of "MUDAMUDAMUDA!" flowing out of him. Fists pounded against steel, neither relenting or slowing down. It was a desperate rush to get to the other, and with his limited time, Joaquín could not slip up at all.

"EIGHT SECONDS HAVE PASSED! WRYYYAAAH! I'LL CRUSH YOU FLAT!"

Both of them slammed one more time between the machine. And then everything froze again. He couldn't move. It was getting closer. There was nothing he could do as he felt the incredible weight come down and-

It slammed hard into the ground with a deafening finality. DIO stood silent atop the wrecked steam roller, taking in what had just happened as the last echoes of the crash faded into the air. "Nine seconds have passed," he mused, slowly coming to realize his triumph. "I've done it… It's over..! Joaquín and his Preciosa have finally been eliminated thanks to The World!

"Invulnerability! Immortality! Heh heh heh..! Stand power!" He threw his head back and laughed loud and victorious, his long battle finally over. "All these together, proof that nobody or nothing could exceed me, DIO! These pitiful humans..! I shall dominate them all! They will learn to bow before my wit and might! My heaven shall finally be realized and reign supreme! Ten seconds have passed! Heh heh heh… And it looks like I can make time stand still for up to ten seconds…

"Now, let's see… Perhaps I check underneath for his corpse and drain him of his blood… That is, if he has any left to spare…"

"Sorry… But I need that to live…"

"WHAT?!" He quickly spun around as time had resumed. Contrary to what he had thought, he had not won. Standing atop the machine that should have killed him, bloody and quite alive, was Joaquín Trejo. He looked calm, but the fury he held still burned in his eyes. Seeing him still alive was almost unfathomable for DIO, who's eyes widened in total shock and anger. "No… NO! How is this possible?! How did you survive?!"

"Simple," he said nonchalantly. "Preciosa oiled up his back beneath me and slid us both out from beneath the steamroller like a bar of soap…"

"But how?! I had stopped time! I made sure you would have no chance to escape before your time was up! You should have been crushed into a bloody paste beneath this road roller! So tell me how you survived, Joaquín!" He was met with silence, which made him scream, "ANSWER ME, YOU BASTARD!"

"Do you know about the coquí frog..? "

"W-What," he asked, clearly unaware of what that was.

"The coquí frog," continued Joaquín. "It's native to Puerto Rico… They're these tiny little frogs, no bigger than a penny, and they can survive in tropical environments... Hence why they make their home there… At night, you can hear their mating call echoing throughout the island, which they are named after… Think of them like crickets… My father once told me something about them…'In the dead of night, when the whole world stops, the coquí's croak echoes on.'

"It was a weird saying he had, one I could never find a good meaning for… Did it mean that, just because everyone else stops their life doesn't mean mean others will..? Or something like that..? I'll never know… But I think, after what happened, I understand it in a literal sense... We both have a similar type of Stand… And mine looks almost like those frogs… Almost… You see where I'm going with this..?"

He seemed to understand, judging by how much paler he was getting. "No…. No, that can't be..! You mean you..?"

"When I was about to be crushed, I felt my arm shake under this thing... Shaking, when it should have been frozen and unfeeling… I knew in that split moment what happened to me, and what I had to do next… That's how I avoided getting crushed in your stopped time... That's right Dio…" He allowed himself a smug smile, rubbing his survival in his face. "I can move completely through stopped time… Your ability… doesn't mean shit to me anymore…"

All the vampire could do is shake his head. It was like a nightmare to him. Not only was his fated foe able to defy his ability, but he had achieved mastery in it. They were on equal footing now. And he couldn't bare it one bit. His voice slowly rose from a bewildered whisper to a defiant roar. "No… No..! NO..! I, DIO, REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT!" His Stand emerged and opened his arms in a display of his power. "THE WORLD! TIME HAS STOPPED!

"That's not gonna work, DIO!" And time had frozen again. But not Joaquín. Nothing felt muffled or blurry anymore. There was still silence, however, the buzz of surrounding streetlights and distant sounds from the city muted. He didn't stay paused as he usually did, but instead began to walk back and forth where he stood.

"That's not gonna work anymore… I told you, I'm completely immune to your ability, now… If there's something I learned about your ability was that if I wanted to overcome it, I had to will myself to move… I'm sure you had to do the same to extend the amount of time you could stop before you took my abuelito's blood…

"You bastard," hissed DIO. "You shouldn't be speaking..! You shouldn't be moving..!

"And yet I am... What's wrong..? Are you that pissed that someone's infiltrated your world..? Angry that they're not bound by your invincible Stand power you boast about so proudly..?

"Hold your tongue, you insolent punk!"

"Heh… Looks like you are… Never thought I'd get under the skin of the mighty Dio Brando…

"Do not use that worthless name again," he spat harshly. "I have cast aside my humanity a long time ago! What remains now is only DIO!

"Look at you… Quejiendo like a fucking baby… What happened to all that bravado you had when you thought you crushed me..? Or when you killed Noriaki, Joutarou and my grandfather..? Where'd it all go..? You make me sick… As soon as I came along and proved to you that your power could be trumped, all you can do is complain like a baby… The big, immortal tyrant that stood at the top of his world, brought crashing down to earth by one mere mortal…

"How's it feel, DIO..? Knowing that your ultimate Stand is just as flawed as everyone elses'..?

"You wouldn't be boasting about this if you were frozen in time again..!"

"Not happening… You know what it's like every time you stopped time and I tried moving..? It's like someone holding their breath underwater for a minute… Just a minute, and you know that's their limit... So the moment you let them up to finally catch their breath, you plunge them back in… That's what it felt like moving for those mere seconds in your stopped time, only to freeze up again…

"It was aggravating… And up until now, that was your point of view with every single person you've used this damn power on… They were that person holding their breaths... Only difference is that you drowned them… They could have moved... But you wouldn't let them… Not me… I broke free… I've invaded your world… There's nothing you or your Stand could do to me now… That's why you're acting like a whiny bitch…"

"Y-You…" He was too shaken to move and too angry to react. His words seemed to have affected him deeply, wounding his pride so badly that there may be nothing left. It was a far cry from his prior swagger he had throughout the fight. What was left was simply pitiful.

"That's why," he continued, coming over to his frozen foe and placing a hand on his broad shoulder. "That's why… I don't even feel sorry for you in the slightest!"

He punched DIO across the face, making him stumble in his state of mental vulnerability. He dedicated that one for everyone he had affected in the past. But the next blows were more personal, fueled by the pain and anger he endured by the man who harmed them. And each one was stronger and harsher than the last.

"This one is for Mohamed Avdol..." Another punch to the face.

"For Iggy…" Another punch.

"For Kakyouin Noriaki…!" Another.

"For Abuelito..!" And another.

"For my brother!" And another.

"AND FOR MY DELLA!" His final blow was a powerful kick into his legs, breaking them in two and sending him flying off the steam roller. He looked pathetic, weak and struggling to get on his knees. Joaquín jumped off and came within a few feet of him, right within each others Stand range. "So how long was that..? Ten seconds..? Eleven..? Because if it was…

"... then time will resume…"

And so it did, the world coming back to life. Both the and the prone vampire locked eyes, each showing equal hate and anger. Or perhaps not, for the man on the ground looked far uglier and primal in his hatred.

"I've got no mercy towards you," Joaquín muttered disdainfully. "That's how absolutely pitiful you are… But… finishing you off like this won't leave a good taste in my mouth… It never has with anyone… So let's fix that, shall we..? I'll give you one last chance to strike back when that leg of yours heals up… How long do you think it'll take..? Three seconds..? Four..? I don't care how long it takes… Cause once it is, I'm gonna drive Preciosa into you… So bring it..!"

DIO bared his fangs, still struggling on the ground yet remaining there. His shattered legs bled profusely, but they did look like they were slowly mending."Y-Y-You're mocking me," he stated, his growl laced with pure venom. His scowl quickly turned into a sinister smile, however. "But… But..! Joaquín… You may think you've bested me in this final moment… yet you are still just a human… Heh… Heh heh…

"You think like a human who has but a very short time to live… Something 'leaving a bad taste in your mouth' or even 'living a life with no regrets'… Thinking about such asinine things like that are comparable to rat turds on a toilet..! Heh heh heh… But I, DIO, have no such notions… I've but only one, simple thought… Just one..! To dominate and rule..! That is all..! That is my only satisfaction..!"

He slowly rose, the still healing limbs shaking somewhat. His head hung as he continued to speak. "The process… The method…" His gaze shot up to meet Joaquín's, once again filled with that wild, confident bloodlust. "IT MATTERS NOT!" And before he could react, his foe's left leg bent at an odd angle. Blood sprayed out and splashed across his face, catching him right in the eyes.

"YES," he bellowed with manic success. "BLINDED BY YOUR ANCESTOR'S BLOOD! I'VE WON!" He heard The World be summoned and felt the pressure of his large leg swinging straight at him in tandem with his wicked master. "NOW DIE!"

This was it. Everything was riding on this final moment. He only had one shot at ending this fight for good. Everyone was depending on him. Summoning every last ounce of anger, pain, strength, and the very will of the Joestars, he and Preciosa reeled back and threw their last punch.

"TOOOMAAA," they both roared.

"MUUUDAAA" DIO and The World exclaimed.

And in an instant, their blows met. Fist upon leg. Their explosive impact echoed into the night along with their fierce cries. Even the ground cracked from the pressure it created. The silence that followed was deafening. The two silently stared upon one another, unmoving waiting with bated breath. One second later, Preciosa's fist cracked apart somewhat, garnering a hopeful smirk from his immortal foe.

And the next, The World's leg cracked where the punch landed. Shallowly at first, but it grew deeper and long, shocking his vampiric user. It then began to trail upwards as the appendage crumbled away, tearing through his body like some fault across stone. DIO could only look on in frightful disbelief, roaring as his own body was splitting apart. Light and blood erupted from the trailing fissure.

"WHAT IS THIIIS," he screeched, hie eyes practically begging his scowling nemesis for an answer. "YOU… WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"

"Mohamed Avdol once told me," he started quietly, "that Stands are a manifestation of the human spirit… A representation of a mortal soul… Your mind and heart may be DIO… But your soul…" He then pointed at the crumbling man and shouted the truth. "IS STILL DIO BRANDO!

"I-IMPOSSIBLE..!"

The crack travelled up up and split his face…

"I… I AM DIO..!"

Branched out and split his eye…

"III AAAM DIIIOOO..!"

And at last, with that final scream, his leg, head, and half his torso violently exploded in a burst of blood. What was left of his mangle corpse collapsed and smoked with his waning essence. As for Joaquín, all the adrenaline and anger slowly left him, pain and exhaustion taking their place. But so too did elation and relief.

"I'll let the morning sun finish you off," he said to the smoldering remains, right before looking up to the dark, starry sky. It looked brighter than it ever did, perhaps in acknowledgement of his victory. "I did it… Oh god, I actually did it… Mom… Dad… Everyone… It's over… He's gone now…"

DIO and The World… have been absolutely defeated. Dead.

There was only one thing left to do now. He wouldn't have needed to do it before, but given what happened to his grandfather, there was no other option. The biggest question was if what he had in mind would work. It's got to, though, he thought as he approached the corpse, Preciosa beginning to pick up the pieces. It would be a long trip to the city, and he didn't exactly know how long it would take. But he just had to get back to Joseph.

Before he could even start walking, he could see two pair of lights growing and heading straight for him. It was the Speedwagon medical vans, parking a few feet away. One of the back doors opened, and out came Della, bandaged up properly and running right at her boyfriend. He immediately opened his arms and caught her in his loving embrace, the two sharing a desperate and passionate kiss.

"Jojo, you're alive," she exclaimed after breaking the kiss. "Oh god, you're alive! And you did it!"

"Yeah," he confirmed with a loving smile. "He's gone… Well…" Now that he said that, he wasn't too certain. DIO's head had been destroyed, but his heart still beat on. He could feel it through Preciosa. He wasn't too worried about it, though. If anything, this might work out better for his plan. "Not yet… But I've got plans for this fucker… How'd you-"

"I caught up with Jean Pierre! He went to pick up a few things from the mansion and we went to the rooftops. We saw the fight. And then we called the Speedwagon Foundation meds and followed you here. They sent someone over for Noriaki, and we picked up Mr. Joestar and Joutarou." She looked back at the over van, brow furrowed and her smile dropping. "He… looks awful… Is he…"

"Not for long. Hopefully. I'll handle it. Let's get to a hospital, okay?"

Joaquín gave her a quick kiss before they went to their separate vehicle. One of the men inside opened the doors. Inside were two doctors working the medical equipment against the walls and tending to the shriveled body of Joseph Joestar on one gurney. Sitting beside him was Joutarou, looking tired, but not as much as his older brother. When he stepped in, he looked up and immediately stood up. "Niisan," he said in surprise. "No way…"

"Believe it…"He set the broken body on the other gurney, the medical staff backing away from it in fright. "Bagged me a goddamn vampire…"

"Dear god," one of them whispered shakily.

"This is his body, isn't it," asked the other in awe.

"Yeah… Get it covered and let's get out of here… My whole body is a mess…" But he didn't sit just yet. He instead pulled his little brother into a hug. And for the first he returned it. "God, I'm glad you're alive…"

"Me too, niisan…"

The vans began to drive off to the city, the two sitting back beside their grandfather's body. DIO's had been put into a bag and covered by glass. The driver up front started talking over a transceiver. "This is SPWF car number 2, now heading northbound towards Qasr El Nil Street. We have recovered Joaquín and DIO's corpse. I repeat, we have recovered DIO's corpse, over."

"Until sunrise, that body of his is still alive," came another man's voice on its speaker. "Be careful. Very careful, over."

"10-4, over."

"Kakyouin Noriaki is dead. We is currently transporting him via helicopter. Jean Pierre Polnareff and Della Brown are both being treated in here in car number 1. We also have Iggy's body being preserved as well, over."

"10-4, over."

"By the way, we have a question car 2… Why do you have DIO's corpse together in the same car with Joseph Joestar's body..?"

The driver and everyone else looked back at Joaquín questioningly. He stood up and addressed them all with a small edge to his voice. "Cause it's not over yet. That fucker drained my grandfather of his blood a few minutes ago. He took it from him. I want to give it back."

"What are you implying, Mr. Trejo," asked the elder of the doctors.

"Simple. A blood transfusion."

Everyone except Joutarou gasped. He seemed to have been thinking along the same lines. "N-No way," exclaimed the bald doctor beside them, eyes wide in shock. "Transfer DIO's blood into Mr. Joestar's dried up body..?!"

"Y-You plan to revive Mr. Joestar..?!"

He nodded and looked over at his grandfather's prune-like body. Small embers of anger rose up again as he vividly recalled what he had seen. "His upper body and head are gone, so I figured we could just take whatever's left from him. Should be more than enough… Or…" He then turned to the staff and glared at them all, as if asking them to challenge him. "…do you think there's no time to do it?"

Nobody responded. The driver spoke back hesitantly over the radio and said, "That's why... Did you get that, over..?"

"T-Ten four, over," came the shocked response.

The older doctor ran a hand through his cloud of white hair and muttered, "T-that's just impossible… He doesn't have a pulse… I mean, his heart's stopped. It can's circulate any blood through his body… There's no way…"

"No way," Joaquín whispered back, right before clutching his collar and dragging him up to his face. "The last fifty days have been nothing but one impossible thing after another... I'm tired of hearing words like impossible or useless... They don't apply to any of us… I literally stopped and restarted my heart fighting DIO... If I can do that, then I can get my grandfather's heart pumping again… That's my plan… And the notion of that being impossible isn't gonna stop me…"

He let go of him and summoned Preciosa, his hand phasing into the old man's chest and carefully grabbing his heart. Once he started to pump it, there came a steady beeping from the cardiograph on the wall. The doctors gasped when they saw the unexpected heartbeat. They were being proven wrong.

"Holy shit," whispered Joutarou in awe as he stood up beside his brother. "He's got a pulse…"

"H-Hurry," frantically said the younger one. "We need to perform the transfusion from DIO's body!"

"This just might work," said the elder one hopefully. They ran around the van, grabbed what they needed and began preparing both bodies. Tubes hooked up between the vampire, the machines and Joseph, who had an oxygen mask to help with getting some air in him. Once it was ready, blood began to transfer from one body to the next. It was a long shot. Not even Joaquín knew if it would work. But he had to try and bring him back.

Once he could feel the heart beating on its own, he let go of it immediately. Everyone waited with held breaths to see what would happen. Sure enough, Joseph's pale skin filled with color, stretching and softening back to its original shape. He no longer looked like a dying prune, but a healthy, aging grape. It was like a miracle to the staff, the likes of which they have never seen. And then came another beeping.

"B-Brain waves," exclaimed one of the doctors watching the monitor. "We're getting brain waves!"

"LOOK!" Joseph's eyes had opened, blinking and staring up at the roof of the van. "Unbelievable! His eyes are open and his heartbeat is regular! It's incredible! You did it! He's been revived!"

Holy shit, I did it, he thought, a wave of relief coursing through his body. He defied the odds and brought his grandfather back. And he could not have been happier.

"Jijii," asked Joutarou, but he sounded far from relieved.

Something was wrong

Joseph's body began to shine with a purple, malevolent aura. He didn't respond to anyone, simply turning to DIO's lifeless body and putting on a smile. Something was definitely wrong. As the glow filled the room, he rose and removed his mask, all the nodes and tubes attached to him ripping off. "Foolish Joaquín," he said with a dark, familiar chuckle, his cruel gaze settling upon his oldest grandson. The doctors backed away in fear, but the brothers, shocked as they were, stood their ground.

"Y-You bastard," growled Joutarou

"No," whispered Joaquín, his anger reigniting. There was no way this could be happening. After everything they had gone through, he had returned, and in the body of the man whose blood he stole.

"Thanks to you," continued Joseph with bloodthirsty glee, "I have been reborn!"

He couldn't take it. His rage flared back to its former peak, Preciosa bursting out of him and ready to strike his now-possessed grandfather with a scream."NOOO!"

"WAIT!" And in an instant, the evil that was DIO was immediately replaced by the wide-eyed panic of the old man."Kidding, kidding! I'm kidding! It was a joke! Just a joke!"

But given the events of the night, he wouldn't believe it. "PROVE IT," he roared, making his poor grandfather flinch.

"O-Okay, that's my fault," he said with a nervous smile, holding his hands up in mercy. The ethereal glow in the van faded, revealing that it was the work of Hermit Purple hiding within the equipment before returning to its user. "I was just playing..! It's really me..! I'm Joseph Joestar! Born September 27th, 1920! My wife's name is Suzie Quatro! I collect comic books as a hobby!"

It was basic information. If he really was Joseph Joestar, he needed to prove it. "What's the female lead's name in 1981's Tarzan, the Ape Man," he asked suddenly.

His answer was immediate. "Bo Derek."

"And who sung Eat It, that stupid parody song of Michael Jackson's Beat It?"

"Al Yankovic."

His Stand and anger quickly faded with a sigh of exasperated relief as he sat back down, holding his pounding heart. His worst fear had been averted with the revaltion of it being just a stupid joke. An unamused but nonetheless relieved Joutarou just shook his head and muttered, "Yare yare… You're the real deal, alright… Only you would know such worthless crap like that…"

"Thank god our grandfather's a total geek," his older brother said with a smirk.

"T-This is car number 2," happily called the driver to his radio. "I-It's amazing! Mr. Joestar just woke up! Mr. Joestar's been revived! We did it, over!"

As the cheers from the other drivers and that of Della and Jean Pierre buzzed in response, Joaquín turned to his grandfather and whispered, "We did it, Abuelito… We beat him… The Joestars are free… They can rest easy now... And we can live a bit easier, too…"

Joseph said nothing, but his trembling smile and the tears in his eyes spoke volumes. No words could describe just how proud he was of him, for he was indeed right.

The curse that plagued their family had finally been lifted.

~+JO*JO+~

Several hours later at a hospital, the entire group was being treated for their wounds. Out of the five, only Joaquín and Jean Pierre suffered the most damage. The latter was missing some fingers, half his foot and had many cuts that needed to be disinfected. The same went for the nasty diagonal scar trailing along the former's left cheek. His broken bones weren't too hard to mend thanks to his, Della's and his grandfather's hamon speeding up the process.

With the battle over, everyone finally had a chance to grieve. Mohamed Avdol, Kakyouin Noriaki and Iggy were all gone. They all mourned the untimely losses in their own ways, either staying silent or full-blown sobbing, like Della was doing in her boyfriend's arms. Joutarou, much to his brother's shock, was crying as well. There were no screams of grief as he would have expected, but the tears he quietly shed showed just how deeply it affected him.

He's hurting just as much as we are, thought Joaquín as he stroked his girlfriend's hair. He was his best friend, closer to him than he was to the others… They were almost the same… Joutarou probably saw a bit of himself in him, someone who had no real friends until this adventure… Damnit… I'm so sorry, Joutarou... But don't worry… He will have his funeral… Him and Iggy...

They stood like this for a while in that somber room they were all staying in, everyone but Jean Pierre sitting in a chair around his bed. Nobody spoke, nobody looked at one another. When the sadness slowly waned and the poor girl in Joaquín's arms fell asleep, he looked up at the Frenchman and asked, "Hey… I was wondering… Della said you went back to the mansion… What did you go back for?"

He didn't say anything but pointed to the nightstand at his bedside. Without getting up, Preciosa was summoned to open it. Inside were two things: the old diary from back in the mansion as well as something hastily wrapped up in a sheet.

"I went back for Iggy," he started, "but I bumped into D'arby on the way. He was carrying them both in his hands. I thought they had to be important since he was in such a rush, so I knocked him out and stole them. That book told you about DIO's Stand, right?"

"It did... But, what's under the cloth..?"

He smirked. "See for yourself."

Preciosa carefully took it out and unwrapped it. Within was what should have been an ordinary-looking arrow. But its head was far from it. It looked ancient and delicately crafted, made of some bizarre metal. Tilted one way made it black, the other gold. Protruding out in the middle was a golden, beetle-like insect he had never seen before, single-eyed with a stinger ending at the tip.

He immediately knew what this was.

"This is it," he whispered, awestruck by how beautiful and ominous it looked. "This is the arrow he mentioned in the diary… The same one DIO used to make Stands… And how us Joestars got ours…"

"So it all started with that, then," mused Joseph, taking the arrow from his grandson's Stand and examining it. "It looks to be of Egyptian design… When this was crafted, I can't say... Maybe thousands of years old… My guess is that whoever gets struck by this has their Stand awakened…"

"If they have the strength for it. I'm pretty sure if that struck someone who isn't strong willed enough, they'll die. Makes sense, though. That thing… Just looking at it, I can tell how powerful and dangerous it is, even without knowing its purpose."

"I felt it too… It's no wonder DIO kept it…"

"I think we should leave it with Jean Pierre. He's the one who's been looking for it."

The old man returned it to their bed-bound friend, who accepted it with a nod. "Merci… This arrow… I know it's the answer to my investigation, but… I'm going to research it first. If I do that, then I'm bound to find whoever's responsible for the Stand and drug problem in Europe."

"Agreed... Keep that thing as safe and secret as possible. Don't let anyone take it. I'm gonna do the same thing with the diary."

"Are you gonna read it, niisan," asked Joutarou.

Truth be told, Joaquín didn't want to. Like the arrow, this book was dangerous. If this book held the secret to its owner's Stand power, there was no telling what other dark secrets lied within. No other mortal should wield such knowledge. But he knew that, no matter how much he would be against it, there will come a time where he must look within its aging pages again. When it will be, he didn't know, nor did he want to right now.

"Maybe later," he answered somewhat truthfully with a tired sigh. "Don't worry. I'll keep it safe. Should be easy enough if there's nobody else who knows about it."

"We can only hope…"

Joaquín yawned and stretched as much as he could with Della holding him. "Now… lets all turn in… This has honestly been the one of the longest nights of my life and I need to get some sleep… Besides, we gotta get up early… We still have one last thing to do…"

~+JO*JO+~

That morning, as the stars still shone dimly in the sky, the Speedwagon medics had driven DIO's corpse to the outskirts of Cairo. Only the three Joestars accompanied it, who felt they were the only ones that needed to. It was their battle, after all. It was only right that they saw this to its end. Once there, the trio had laid the mangled body out in the open and stood several feet away, waiting patiently for the rising sun.

And soon came the break of dawn, the symbol of a new tomorrow vanquishing the darkness cast over a century ago. The powerful, life-giving rays of sunlight began to brighten the sky. They shined upon the undead body, which began to crack and crumble. What remained of the once-proud vampire obliterated into dust and scattered into the air, leaving nothing behind his tattered clothes. A truly fitting end for a monster of the dark.

"It's over," sighed Joseph mournfully. "Everyone has lent something to DIO… Many people have lent him everything for the past one hundred years…"

"They won't come back," muttered Joutarou, his stoicism barely covering up his melancholy. "Too many of them…"

"Too many and too great," added Joaquín in equal sadness "What we lost is almost big enough to rival the Earth…" His sights turned to the sky, and what he saw slowly lifted his spirits and filled him with gratefulness. "But… it's thanks to them… It's thanks to them that we're alive… They gave their lives not only for us, but the rest of the world…"

They were all there in the clouds, looking down upon them with the proudest of smiles. Whether it was a trick of the eye or not didn't matter to him, for he can see them as clear as day. They may have been gone, but their legacy and will would live on in the ones they had left behind.

Noriaki… Iggy… Mohamed… Thank you… It's over…

~+JO*JO+~

"All passengers to Air France flight 92 to Paris please hurry to gate 18."

That was the first call to Jean Pierre's flight back to France. It had taken two nights for them all to recover, all due in part by Joaquín and his amazing use of hamon. The very next morning, they gathered their belongings and headed to the airport, ready to go home. While the Frenchman's flight would go back to his homeland, the others were going straight back to Japan to reunite with the now recovering Holly.

Of course, they were all put down by his splitting up from the group.

"Do you really have to go back to France," whined Della sadly. "Can't you just sneak on our flight or something? Mrs. Holly would love to meet you."

"I don't think he can," Joaquín said, which only made her pout rather cutely. He turned to the man in question and patted his shoulder. "I know what it's like not having family. But you don't have to live alone, you know. She's got a bit of a point. Why don't you come with us? You're more than welcome to stay with anyone you want, we'll always welcome you, buddy."

The Frenchman, kneeling and tying up his bag, turned to them and smiled warmly. "Joaquín… Even if I don't have any relatives, France is still my homeland… I've got memories in my hometown… No matter where I go, I'll always return there… But, if you need me for anything, please call me… I'll fly to you all immediately."

"Heh… I'll hold you to that."

Joseph crossed his arms and scoffed. "And here I was hoping for a little more company besides my grandson and his girlfriend." Joaquín decided last night that he and Della would stay with his grandfather in New York. Living alone with her would have been nice, but he felt keeping the old man company was better. Of course, that wouldn't stop him from visiting his family in Japan. "Well, I wish you the best of luck, Polnareff."

He nodded and rose to his feet, looking fondly at all his friends. They were all as bandaged up as he was, but they all shared the same appreciative smile. "We may have had many hardships… but it was fun… This whole adventure was fun because I had you all there…"

"It sure was," agreed Joaquín. "It's been the craziest fifty days of my life…"

With tears forming in their eyes, they all came together in a big hug. They weren't tears of sadness, but happiness that they had spent such a wonderful, intense adventure together. For them, it wasn't a goodbye, but a farewell to their friend. A promise that they would pick up where they left off one day. It was how the departed would have liked to see them.

"You stingy vieillard," teased Jean Pierre to the elder Joestar. "You better live long! And to your petty grandkids! Don't you all forget me! Same goes to you, sexy!"

"Let's meet again sometime," said Joseph, pointing at his friend and smirking. "If you don't hate me by then, you dumb-looking jackass!"

"I could never forget a character like you," muttered Joutarou appreciatively.

"You better not get into any trouble while you're gone," warned Joaquín as he tousled his ridiculous silver hair. "And I don't mean women, ¡chico lindo!"

"Take care of yourself, Jean Pierre," Della said, giving him a kiss to his cheek as they let go. "Don't ever cut that stupid hair of yours."

He chuckled at all the insults before he bid them all farewell. And with his bag slung over his shoulder, he headed off to his plane. As his figure grew further and further away, Joaquín sighed and said, "You know, this might be the end of our adventure and battle… But I don't think the war against DIO isn't over."

"It's not," Joutarou agreed. "He's left a lasting influence on our world. There's no doubt that he has a few followers left ready to carry out his will. You're not worried about that are you?"

He turned to his girlfriend and took her hand, his smile and eyes bright and confident. "Not in the slightest… Cause I know all of us can take on whatever comes our way."

"I'm as ready as you, Jojo," she said with equal confidence. "But we can worry about that for another day, right?"

"Of course. Now, let's head back home. Mom's waiting for us."

The two led the way, hand in hand and heads held high. His grandfather set up his Walkman with a Beatles cassette, and his brother simply adjusted his hat and followed in silence. Their adventure was ending, giving way to a new beginning. Sure, things weren't truly over, but when the time comes, they'll be prepared to fight again. And they will keep fighting until the world was a better place for them all. For this was the true destiny of the Joestar family.

This was Joaquín Trejo's destiny.

And with the departure of Egypt, so ended a chapter in Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.

~+END+~

And with that, Jojo's Bizarre Adventure: Lost Heritage is done... I am so proud and so happy I've finished this work. The time and effort I put into this was immense. But it paid off in the end. It actually gave me quite a lot of confidence, believe it or not. Idk if some of you know, but I had tried (and failed) to complete a fanfic on here for years. Stories about Mario, Pokemon, Sonic, and even Undertale. This is the first story I put my heart into that I completed. I can't describe just how proud I am.

I started this work back in 2017, And I never would have thought I'd finish it or even have people who would like the story. But here we are, 15 chapters, a rewrite of them and 27 more chapters later. What helped me the most was, of course, having the Japanese manga to work with. It wasn't easy going back and forth between translating and adjusting dialogue and scenes into a story format. But I showed I could do it! Three years on this. It shouldn't take this long for a story, but that's okay. I'm just glad you guys were patient with me.

With all that said, will I work on a sequel? Maybe. More than likely yes. But I'll need a bit of time. I'll have to come back and fix some stuff in this story and maybe split it up, add more content to it. Who knows. But you guys will see Joaquin again.

Thank you all so much! Everyone of you who stuck with the story, both old and new! And thank Hirohiko Araki for creating such an awesome series! You guys are the best! See you all next time!