P H A N T O M B L O O D
"Fool me once, fool me twice. Is this death or paradise?"
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"Consider this, dear," Dio says to the frightened girl, holding up a rose, "Examine this rose, in bloom for but a moment. Vibrant, fresh and young. What you see is a mirror of your youth."
"Consider this fact carefully mademoiselle, from the moment this flower fully blooms it begins to wither. A shame don't you think?" Dio continues in a purring voice that makes you adjust on his chest because of the vibrations.
His voice is so loud.
It echoes in your ears like a scream in a quiet cathedral. It drives out the noises of the human though and that's good. You don't like how hungry the sound of her beating heart makes you or the way her quiet breathes call out to you the same way the sound of food sizzling in the Joestar's kitchen did.
Dio's voice has always been nice but now it's a sensory overload.
It must be a vampire thing- eventually, you'll get used to it. You have a lot of time to get used to it.
Your scarlet gaze flicks from the frightened girl back to Dio. Is he going to turn her into a zombie? Or even better yet- would you be feeding your new vampiric itch for blood? Yes, it would be incredible if you could eat the girl-
No, no- you don't actually want to eat the girl... Do you?
Of course not! It's this stupid vampirism that's consuming you. Dammit if only you were paying closer attention to what Dio was suggesting- how could you have thought it was a good idea to become a vampire, even for a minute?
If you weren't so distracted by Jojo's dea-
"Only sixteen! So sweet, so innocent and pure now! So full of delicious life energy! Wonderful, Lord Dio!" One of the zombie animal creatures also resting on Dio exclaims, panting and laughing and stretching out its tongue all at once. It's a slobbering, sickening sight and you cringe, a lot less hungry. Yep, couldn't be you.
Dio tuts and you take this as a sign to flick the odd mix-matched petting zoo creature into a nearby wall. It's killed instantly with the otherworldly strength you've yet to adapt to.
The thrill of killing is also something very new. You aren't sure if you like it.
You look at the sharp claws on your fingers, sprinkled in a scattering of undead blood you can't consume before looking back at Dio. Thinking about the power you now hold is exciting. You do like the thrill.
Dio's expression doesn't change from one of disgust as he stares at the dead creature's corpse now sliding down the wall like a very tragic mashed potato, though he does take the hand you used to flick the zombie in his and lay a soft kiss on the cold skin, "Those lacking in manners are not fit to exist."
God, he's hot.
Looking at Dio with incredible vampire vision is like seeing a flower bloom for the first time. How did you live before today? How could you look at anything ever again and consider it beautiful when Dio existed? Such a thing would be wrong.
His face has always been a sculpted checklist of every beauty standard you could think of- dark brows, thick lashes, full lips. If it's considered attractive, you'll find it's his. Golly, could you even see before today? He was always hot but now he's like someone decided to reincarnate Narcissus and put him underneath you in a platonic way. Especially with his cute little evil smile.
No, wait, what will Jojo look like with the new vampire vision? If Dio is Narcissus then Jojo is surely Adonis or Apollo or Eros or- Nevermind.
Jojo's dead.
Wait fuck what are you gonna tell Erina-
All of a sudden you're moved off of the blonde vampire and left sitting on the sofa as he approaches the still terrified girl.
Despite the vampiric urge to drink away her life, you can't help but be concerned for the girl's safety. It seemed being a ridiculously compassionate human had left you with just enough kindness as a vampire to want to save her still.
"Now mademoiselle, I offer unto you a choice," Dio says, looming over the teenager, "Would you not care to enjoy your youth and beauty for all eternity?"
"Fret not my dear, I shall not force my friendship upon you like others might do. You control your life, you hold your destiny in your own hands."
This bitch.
Fucker listened to you ranting about consent for years and decided it should only be applied to people he can eat if they reject him? That's just... Ew. Hell, he could've at least asked you yourself to at least verbally confirm if you were up for the whole vampire thing rather than waiting for you to start dying.
Or wait for Jojo to die, more accurately speaking.
Dammit! You are not gonna let him keep getting away with this shit, even if he is pretty. You're gonna save this girl and then get revenge for Jojo and the others! You can totally use being a vampire against Dio, like fighting fire with fire.
Actually, fire hasn't really been your friend recently... Or at any point in your life.
"You fiend..." The girl whispers fiercely, an interesting choice, whispering bravely. Pretty much an oxymoron. Ugh, what a champ she is.
You would not be allowing Dio to turn her into a zombie tonight. Hamon or no Hamon! Actually would slug poison work on him, all considering? Weedkiller maybe?
You could try sucking out whatever blood he's got in him. If it kills humans maybe it could-
"Ay? How's that again?" Dio coos, leaning in closer to hear the girl despite the heightened hearing he possesses.
Arrogance suits Dio a lot more than your fondness for him.
"You wear the flesh but you're not a man. Devil go away!" She cries out angrily, raising a hand and slapping the shit out of Dio.
Ayo hold up. That's not good.
You're up in a second, moving faster than you ever could before your transformation. Jerking the punched up blonde up and away from the girl in case he does anything... Murdery.
Dio, now standing but still composed, rots the rose in his hands. He doesn't bother leaving your panicked grip. Surely he was furious, and yet the girl remains unharmed, that's not like him, you're almost concerned, "Did she manage to take out a few brain cells, my lord?"
The joke in your somewhat nervous voice is clear enough that the spooked girl's eyes widen further and Dio's red pupils seem to flash with something.
It's smugness.
The blonde turns to the door, leaving the girl and the dead flower on the floor. You end up being pulled along with him.
Pieces of odd green gloop fall on the girl from above the minute you and Dio step far enough away.
What the fuck is that thing?
The girl looks up at the drooling zombie in horror. You look at it in horror as well, how could such a creature have ever been human?
"Alas. Although your acquaintance will be brief, let me introduce one of my companions. I present unto you Doobie," Dio scowls, the massive zombie standing menacingly before the girl, "As regrettably, I am not to your taste, enjoy your time with him. Au revoir, mademoiselle."
Dio tugs you out of the room and you growl in protest, "Dio, you can't just leave her alone with that thing!"
The door slams shut behind you and you hear the girl's muffled scream.
"Oh, would you look at that? I already did," Dio responds back, slightly annoyed at your second attempt at meddling. A certain poison-selling zombie approaches you and Dio huffs, "Wang, do you have what I asked for? Certainly took you a while."
"Apologies, my lord Dio. The previous inhabitants left a lot to be desired in their wardrobes," The spiky-haired zombie apologises, bowing slightly and extending the pile of fabric in his hands.
"Hm. (Y/N), take the clothes. They're yours," Dio says, letting go of you so you can grab the pile off of Wang.
"Oh, uh thanks. What's wrong with my current clothes though?" You ask, looking down at your outfit and realizing the whole being impaled thing had totally ruined the blue colour. And left a giant hole, "Huh. That's a shame, spent all of your life insurance buying this."
"Why on earth were you the one to inherit my life insurance?"
"Jojo didn't want your, um, filthy blood money... May he rest in peace... Er, anyway! Wang, you can still do fortunes, right? What's mine?" You turn to the zombie still following you and he nods, rubbing his moustache and analyzing you.
"In your immortal life, you will always know victory against any foe you face. However, you cannot escape the loss that will plague you like a boulder on a string," The zombie says sagely and you grimace.
"Golly, thanks Wang," You look forward again and realise you've arrived back to the large balcony room you were in earlier, Dio dismissing the zombie and shutting the double doors behind you. There are no zombies on the ceiling now and the great fireplace is unlit.
The blonde vampire leans towards it and sets the thing ablaze with a match and it goes up quick, reminding you of the Joestar mansion. Actually, that reminds you.
"Dio, can we talk?" You ask, throwing off your jumper and unbuttoning the rag remains of your shirt. Dio's red eyes glint in the light, staring at the still present hole in your torso.
You had hoped becoming a vampire would seal up the hole. Nope. It's just not bleeding. Maybe blood's what will heal it?
Eh.
"Talk away, love," Dio says, leaning against some of the furniture. He's still looking at you, that's a good sign.
"About Jojo-"
You get cut off by the blonde groaning and running his hands down his face in annoyance, "He's dead. Drop it."
Well, that's a sudden change in tone. Golly. You blink at the blonde for a quiet moment, responding with a simple, "No."
There's another moment of silence before you elaborate, "You and me are proof enough that death is not an end to a conversation, right?"
"Jojo's not a zombie. He's a corpse. A whole one, unlike that miserable moustached miscreant. Rumour has it he's been torn in twain," The blonde grins and flaps one of his hands about in a fruity but dismissive gesture.
"Wow, alliteration. Way to gloss over my friend's suffering, you diabolical dick devotee," You snarl, looking at your ombré looking blood-stained boots. They're wearable, basically matching the shitty all-red ensemble you got going on now. The zombie wasn't kidding when he said the wardrobes were lacking.
"Ha, not just dick. I'm a devotee to the human form, not specific parts."
"You fucking asshole, we're not talking about you and how much you like getting railed. You have literally just had my friends killed. There are bigger issues here," You glare at the blonde, shoving your previous clothes into a zombie's arms when it scurries in and out of the room to collect them.
"Well, maybe the biggest issue is the way you treat I, Dio, like garbage even though I've given you immortal life out of the kindness of my heart," The vampire growls, crossing his arms in a way that shows off his muscles and his sharp claw-nail things. Is he trying to distract you from the matter at hand?
"Maybe I would've prefered to die of my wound! Ever think of that asshole?! You've doomed me to an eternity of grief! Of having to watch the guy who killed my best friend and lover take over the world!" You throw your hands around in a series of angry gestures, making the blonde roll his eyes.
"You don't need to spend eternity thinking about Jojo though- you have me. My reign over this earth will be a glorious salvation in which humanity is united under one god," Dio points an accusatory finger at you, "If you weren't so stubborn, it could be two gods! But you have to linger on some petty issue! You never even needed to love Jojo, you've always had me!"
But you had Jojo longer. A part of your heart snaps in anger.
"Why the fuck would I want you?!" You swat at Dio's extended arm, baring your sharpened canines at him, "The only people who ever wanted you are dead! You killed the Joestars who took you in! Are you gonna kill me too if I take you back? Or will you kill me even if I don't want you like your fucking dad!"
You pause and Dio just stares at you with wide eyes. You're upset. You shouldn't have said that.
"Dio I'm sorry, I-"
"Oh shut up, I already heard you. You're such a fucking hypocrite. Bringing up things from years ago to spite me when not even a full month ago you were all over me!" Dio snaps, face twisting into something vicious, "You want to talk about the past, fine! You used to fucking love me and all it took for that to stop was for Jojo to throw around accusations!
The blonde continues, "You're not even capable of caring about anyone other than him because of how dependant you are on him! You only sought me out because you thought nothing would happen between you and him! You discarded me like trash even though you promised- you fucking promised to have my back!"
"A promise I swore on my servitude to a lord you killed! You- you dick! I still care about you! Of course, I do. I never stopped! I just have to put that aside because of the crimes you've committed! Loving Dio is fine and dandy but loving a killer is complicated, you asshole!"
You sigh, exhaling breath you never needed to inhale, "I'm not a fan of tough love but it's the only option I had after watching you kill Mr Joestar- I left you to die which was wrong and I'm sorry but you were a threat to people I care about, Dio, and it was you or them," You turn away from the blonde, "I didn't want to hurt you but it was the only way to stop you from hurting the other people I love."
Dio tries to say something snide but you keep going, "I can care about more than one person without you losing out. Love is something as infinite as our lives and I had enough for you and Jojo, okay? It was never conditional on your behaviour, I just have to... Ignore those feelings right now. Because they hurt after all the shit you've pulled, love."
"(Y/N), you don't have to ignore them anymore! We can be together now-"
"Guess who survived his time in hell, Dio!"
Jojo bursts into the room with a strong blast from the door. Seemingly much more powerful than before you were separated. He looks at Dio with loathing and unwavering courage.
Well, it does waver slightly to be fair, but only when he notices you, (Y/N), one of his childhood sweethearts standing close to the blonde, your eyes glowing red in the firelight. The gaping hole in your stomach, exposed by your short button-up shirt with very poofy sleeves and a crimson colouring. Haha, not so subtle outfit description.
Dio hurt you.
You've been turned into a monster.
The blood in the bluenette's veins burns hot with rage and his Hamon burns even hotter underneath his skin.
You're eyes glare significantly and you step out of the pose you and Dio were doing to face the bluenette fully in your shock, your relief, "Jojo!"
"You are alive Jojo. Curious," Dio says somberly, fully turning to face the Joestar standing in his way as well, "I suppose largely that would then indicate you have killed my two knights."
"Lord Dio, we await your order to reduce him to a pile of bloody flesh!" A zombie exclaims as all of the ceiling decoration soldiers (since when did they show up?) drop down to stand behind their master.
"Lord, let my fangs make an impression on him!" Another one pleads to Dio, and god you can't stand zombies. They're just so... Nasty.
"Dio!" Jojo says angrily (unsurprising at this point) as he readies his buff body into a fighting stance... Wait is he wearing a crop top?
Your eyes tear away from worriedly looking at the zombie horde to the Joestar and holy shit, he is! The sight of him in the top makes you straighten up- sure he wasn't dead and that's great news- but thank the heavens (and his hard work and dedication) for the bluenette's sculpted figure. For lack of better words; nice, awooga, hubba hubba, yay six-pack, intelligence gone.
Maybe ab-sence does make the heart grow fonder...
You're distracted as hell, is that the Joestar's strategy? Blind the enemy with his sparkling lower torso?
Genius. Inspired.
No! You mustn't be diverted now! Back to the zombie's bloodthirsty request! Are they allowed to fight Jojo?
"No, this one is for me. He falls by my hand alone!" Dio exclaims, raising an arm to stop his zombies and they all team rocket blast back up to the ceiling.
The blonde vampire moves into a fighting pose, emphasis on the pose, and addresses his ripped opponent, "Don't misunderstand me, Jojo. Honestly, this is something in which I will take no pleasure."
'I bet he hears that a lot in the bedroom.' You think but considering that you had actually been in the bedroom with Dio a lot before all this started you ruin your own joke.
"We were raised in the same house and the prospect of turning you into an undead thing is not a happy one for me," Dio continues and you keep looking between both of their poses, "That's why I wanted you to be quickly dispatched by my knights. But it would seem in the end I underestimated you."
"Seeing you here alive brings me to the realization that as an emperor I was being far too soft. But now!" The blonde is somehow still going, grinning with evil he declares, "Now I will put you to death without a moment's thought or compunction!"
"I could say the same! I will feel no hint of guilt for your death!" The Joestar declared in return, raising his fists.
"Yeah get him, Jojo!" You cheer but the blonde gives you a pretty furious side glance, you whisper to him, "Um, sorry Dio but I'm really not gonna support you just because I'm a vampire and we're stood next to each other. You can change my biology but you can't change my mind!"
"Oh piss off. We'll talk about this once Jojo's truly dead," The blonde nags you, waving a dismissive hand before turning back to his opponent.
"But first, I have a question," Dio says coyly, the most sinister you'd seen him yet, "Jojo, whatever happened to that moustachioed charlatan of yours? You seem to have lost him."
Going from flabbergasted by the blonde's dismal of you to your feelings of anguish for the Italian is like a punch to the gut. So he really is dead then? Torn in half as Dio said? But if Jojo is alive then maybe...
"Jojo, is that true?" You ask, voice quieter all of a sudden, "Is Zeppeli...?"
Jojo nods gravely. Your lip quivers and your eyebrow scrunches up but something vampiric stops you from weeping. Maybe it's the lack of blood running through your system. The struggle of not being able to cry makes the sadness worse, oddly enough.
The bluenette looks in your direction with soft eyes. He looks away with fury when Dio cackles at the Italian's fate.
The lighting changes to a red colour and Jojo declares, "Hear me, Dio! It shames me as a gentleman to say this but I can no longer hold back the truth! I, Jonathan Joestar, have such hatred for you! Vengeance consumes me!"
This isn't going to end well for you.
"I swear I will kill you!" Jojo yells out with a finality you're not overwhelmingly fond of. The real kick to the gut however is the colourful and ghostly apparitions behind him, Zeppeli and Mr Joestar. Both bright lights snuffed out by the same douchy blonde you now share eternal life with.
"Come, Jojo!" And that would be the douchy blonde, encouraging the upcoming bloodshed.
You're going to find a way to help kill him.
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The next chapters gonna be some more fighting hehe. Also, I have some major exams starting soon so the rate chapters are coming out might change.
Hope you enjoyed!
<3