"Boxer briefs! Boxer briefs! WRYYYYY—!"
"The strong should crush the weak without mercy!"
Dio's eyes blazed with near-manic glee.
All the pent-up frustration and setbacks exploded in that moment, transforming into the raw thrill of mastering a new power, erupting like a fireball in his chest!
It felt like a scorching electric current shot from his spine to the top of his head! Every cell in his body screamed with the euphoria of this game-changing victory!
"I'm so freaking hyped, Clark!"
His voice was practically a roar, dripping with the arrogance of a victor. "Your so-called steel body? Pathetic!"
"Even the tread on my shoes has more purpose than your dodging!"
Dio Kent!
In this moment, he was riding high!
"Dio… what the heck is…"
Clark panted, struggling to wrap his head around this sudden shift.
But before he could finish, Dio, now tasting victory, was like a hound that caught a scent—he wasn't letting up!
His attacks weren't just probing jabs anymore; they turned into a relentless storm of deadly strikes!
Golden fists, faintly glowing with a lethal green shimmer, tore through the air like poisoned meteors, fueled by Dio's unrestrained ferocity, hammering Clark's weak points—his soft stomach, solid chest, sturdy arms!
"Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda! Muda!" x—3 pages!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Each hit from those invisible fists felt like a red-hot poker piercing Clark!
It wasn't just physical force—there was a bone-deep emptiness that came with it!
Even his prized bio-force field flickered wildly, like a popped bubble, unstable and fading.
He tried to dodge, but a sudden wave of weakness made his super speed sluggish.
He tried to fight back, but his trembling body warped every attempt to muster strength.
All he could do was block clumsily and stumble back.
And Dio?
He was completely lost in the rush of overpowering—maybe even defeating—Clark!
The thrill of wielding forbidden power was like a shot of whiskey, numbing his nerves and drowning out the frantic alarms blaring deep in his body!
He didn't even notice that compressing and focusing his mental energy so intensely on the Kryptonite mark was burning through his reserves at ten, maybe a hundred times the rate of his usual complex Stand maneuvers!
It was like using a needle to blast a high-pressure water jet—the strain on his mind was catastrophic.
And there was a detail no one noticed!
With every successful hit from The World!
The tiny Kryptonite mark on its right shoulder glowed a deeper, more sinister green!
It was greedily siphoning Clark's pain and the life energy violently shaken loose from his body!
This was a hidden "echo."
It fed the stolen energy back to Dio, silently seeping into his muscles and bones, filling him with a twisted sense of vitality!
"Clark! My hand hurts! My heart's racing! I'm so freaking—"
"Dio."
"?"
A low voice cut through the haze of Dio's manic joy and bloodlust like a blade!
"What are you doing?"
"?!"
In an instant!
A purple fist clamped down on The World's hands, locking them in place!
"D-Dad…"
Dio swallowed hard, seeing Locke standing like an iron tower at the edge of the scene, his face as stern as cold steel.
"We'll talk later," Locke said, his brow furrowed.
He'd sensed the abnormal energy spike in the air moments ago and rushed over, only to walk into the barn and find Dio pummeling Clark.
"Star Platinum."
The purple figure nodded slightly at the command.
But instead of attacking, it wrapped one thick finger in a heavy, steady aura—like the weight of a mountain!
Then, with overwhelming suppressive force, it swiftly pressed against the Kryptonite core on The World's right shoulder—the one greedily feeding on mental energy, glowing with an ominous green light!
Bagua: Gen Mountain
Buzz—!
A dark golden aura surged like a living thing, instantly enveloping the fragment!
It didn't destroy it—it absorbed it!
The dangerous green energy was soaked up like water into a sponge, transformed into pure, grounded earth energy and pulled into Locke's body!
At the same time, an invisible energy barrier formed!
It became an unbreakable dam, completely cutting off the flood of Dio's mental energy!
"Ugh!"
Dio grunted as if he'd been hit hard!
The deadly green glow on the mark flickered out like a snuffed spark, going dim and silent.
But the backlash from the severed mental link, combined with the sudden drain of his massive mental reserves, hit him like a sledgehammer. His head throbbed with blinding pain, his vision darkening.
His body shook uncontrollably, and he stumbled back, slamming into the barn's rough wooden wall. Cold sweat soaked through his shirt, sticking clammily to his skin, sending a chill through him.
What… just happened?
That reckless urge to see Clark writhing in pain…
That twisted thrill of dominating and crushing the strong…
Was that really him?
A cold dread gripped him. What the hell had lured him in?!
"Cl-Clark?!"
Dio's voice trembled, his eyes full of panic and confusion as he looked at Clark.
Locke, supporting the pale, gasping Clark—who was clutching his burning chest—didn't hesitate. He spun and threw a punch at the barn wall!
BOOM!
The thick brick wall exploded into a massive hole!
The warm golden glow of the winter afternoon sun poured in like a lifeline, bathing Clark in its gentle light.
After doing this, Locke placed a broad, warm hand on Clark, letting the steady, golden earth energy flow gently as he carefully checked the boy's condition.
A moment later, his tense expression softened.
"It's okay, Dio. Clark's fine," Locke said, glancing at the shaken Dio and the pained but clearing-eyed Clark. He exhaled. "Everyone's fine."
"Just a little accident."
"Phew…"
Basking in the sunlight, Clark let out a relieved breath, his strength returning. He looked at Dio's pale face and Locke's serious expression, his blue eyes filled with worry. "Dio… you okay? What was that just now?"
"I'm fine, Clark," Dio said, catching his breath against the barn's rough wood, his tone laced with confusion. "Dad, what was I—"
"That wasn't you, Dio," Locke said firmly, ruffling his blonde hair. "That power came from the green stone. It might've taken control of you."
"Don't ever channel your mental energy into that stone again unless it's absolutely necessary."
"It's tempting you to awaken it, Dio."
"The power it gives is real, but the cost…"
"Is just as real."
"Yeah."
Dio nodded, not arguing with his dad.
Because…
He'd wavered.
He'd doubted his own power…
That's why he got suckered by the stone's strange pull, mindlessly pouring his mental energy into it like he was possessed.
Seeing Dio's silence, Locke's lips curved into a helpless smile.
"Don't overthink it," he said gently, ruffling the boy's hair again. "If that stone's part of you, then it's your power. You just haven't mastered it yet."
"You're still young, Dio."
"And right now, I think what matters more is…"
Scooping up both boys with a chuckle, Locke said, "It's time to eat."
---
Nightfall.
Watching Saraphiel spin and splash in the bathtub, Locke sighed.
So…
In the end, he's the one stuck bathing Saraphiel, huh?
---
[PS:]
[The childhood arc is wrapping up.]
[Time's about to speed up!]
[Made In Heaven!]