The Joestar mansion had always smelled of glory and power.
But that day, the air changed.
Leo noticed it the moment he stepped down the stairs.
It wasn't just the scent of fresh oil from the carriage or the faint earthiness on the coachman's boots. It was something thicker.
Presence.
He descended slowly, hands clasped behind his back like a proper English gentleman.
But his eyes gleamed with something far from innocence—an unsettling intelligence.
In the foyer, the butler announced in a firm voice:
"Presenting… Dio Brando."
And there he was.
Blond. Sharp eyes. Pale skin. Arrogant posture. A smile barely contained.
A boy the same age as him, yet carrying a mature darkness—almost poisonous.
Leo looked at him the way one might study an unfinished work of art.
"Welcome to the Joestar mansion," he said with a flawless bow. "I'm Jonathan… but you can call me JoJo."
A lie.
He was no longer Jonathan.
And this wasn't a meeting of noble children.
This was a chessboard.
[File "DIO BRANDO" updated: 99.6%]
[Unlock condition: Direct elimination before the Mask Awakening.]
[Registered ability: Infernal Charisma (passive). Intimidation, +30% effectiveness on humans.]
The days that followed were worthy of theater.
Dio charmed the father. Smiled. Manipulated. Toyed with the servants.
And Jonathan… pretended not to notice.
But Leo observed everything.
Every gesture. Every microexpression. Every decision.
At night, he trained in secret.
Using the system, he adapted Guts's raw physique (52%) and fused it with Zoro's sword precision (44%).
His body ached. He wasn't yet ready to withstand the full power.
But each night was an investment.
[Minor physical upgrade: Activated. Clean cuts possible. Reaction time increased.]
One night, staring into the mirror, he asked himself:
"What if I kill him now?"
But the system responded with an unexpected warning:
[Warning: Killing the file before completing the narrative stage 'Breach of Trust' will reduce rewards.]
[Suggestion: Let the script play out. Then, break it.]
Leo chuckled.
How ironic. The system understood narrative pacing.
One afternoon, Dio spat on Jonathan's dog. Kicked it.
In the past, Jonathan would've clumsily confronted him.
But Leo just watched. Analyzed.
Stored every move in memory.
"Something to say, JoJo?" Dio asked with that usual smug grin.
Leo smiled too. But not kindly.
"No, Dio. I'm learning."
Dio raised an eyebrow. He couldn't tell if it was sarcasm, fear… or something else.
Because Leo wasn't going to follow the canon.
He was going to build the perfect stage.
And when Dio finally believed he was the main character…
The curtain would fall.