Infinite rotational force.
A truth that can never be reached.
Both possess the ability of "permanence."
Which one would come out on top?
Just as this thought arose in Ryosuke's mind, the power transmitted from Gold Experience Requiem's punch was returned to zero and flowed backward.
Even the wounds on Star Platinum and Ryosuke vanished along with it.
This wasn't the cavalry spin being returned to zero.
It was the power of the Golden Rectangle being returned to zero as it was transmitted.
Ryosuke remembered very clearly, just now, when he used Lesson 4's spin, Gold Experience Requiem had directly thrown the steel ball back along its original path.
"Gold Experience Requiem's Return to Zero really does have an upper limit."
"It can't return the cavalry spin to zero. Or rather, trying to return the cavalry spin to zero consumes massive resources and affects how it protects Giorno."
"In other words, as long as I can fire the cavalry spin, even if I can't defeat Giorno directly, I can at least turn the current situation around."
Ryosuke made these deductions in an instant.
But a new problem appeared.
How could Ryosuke ride forward at full speed and fire the cavalry spin in front of Giorno, who possessed the ability of "Return to Zero"?
After thinking for a moment, Ryosuke… Gave up.
It couldn't be done.
Even with the Saint's Corpse, it couldn't be done.
No one could hurt Giorno once he had entered the Requiem state.
"Ryosuke, you are a strong person, so I can give you a chance to live. I believe my great father would not refuse either."
This was the first time Giorno spoke since the battle began. His voice was even colder than expected.
He raised his hand, a mass of black light gathering in his palm.
"Eat it, and you'll live."
"Under my father's leadership, the Brando family will become the rulers of all worlds. And you will become one of our 'family,' one of those who enjoy power."
"You have that qualification."
Giorno said softly, "Don't refuse the goodwill of those above you."
Everyone's gaze fell on Ryosuke.
When things are going smoothly, a person might act righteous and unyielding. But when truly facing death, when survival is impossible and death is denied, can they still keep that original courage?
If it were people like Oda Nobunaga, Sasuke, or Mei Terumi, no one would doubt it.
But this temporary team, most of them had only met Ryosuke once, shared little experience with him, and doubts inevitably arose in their hearts.
"If Ryosuke also submits to Dio… then this battle is already lost."
Feeling those gazes, Ryosuke smiled. He casually took off the tattered jacket that had been shredded during the fight and tossed it to the ground.
He stretched out his hand and beckoned to Giorno.
"Come on. Let's trade a few more moves."
If this were the real Giorno, win or lose, Ryosuke truly wouldn't be confident.
But a second-generation rich kid who couldn't stop talking about "my great father"…
Ryosuke couldn't imagine what Dio had done to Giorno's will. But against this version of Giorno, Ryosuke still had a third tactic, stall for time.
Rely on Star Platinum's speed, power, and defense.
Rely on ultra-fast regeneration and vast life force to tank everything head-on.
Drag Giorno until his mental strength is exhausted and he can no longer maintain the Requiem state. That would be Ryosuke's chance to counterattack.
Giorno saw through Ryosuke's tactic and let out a sneer.
Gold Experience Requiem can return everything to zero, including a person's will.
As long as Ryosuke generates the thought "I need to defend in order to defeat Giorno," even if it's passive defense rather than an active attack, it will still be returned to zero and nullified.
Giorno raised his hand, pointed at Ryosuke, and issued the final hunting command.
Gold Experience Requiem charged toward Ryosuke with a fierce wind.
"Muda muda muda muda muda!"
"Muda muda muda muda muda!"
"Muda muda muda muda muda!"
Hundreds of bronze-colored punches were thrown in an instant. When the final punch landed, Giorno expected to see Ryosuke heavily injured and sent flying.
"What?!"
Star Platinum stood firmly in front of Ryosuke.
Thin wisps of smoke rose from its fists. It was clear that it had been continuously trading punches with Gold Experience Requiem to defend against its assault.
'Why?'
Giorno couldn't understand.
Why hadn't Gold Experience Requiem returned Star Platinum's defense to zero?
As he pondered this, Giorno saw Ryosuke's eyes.
Hollow.
Lifeless.
Like a dead object.
Star Platinum was the same.
Giorno suddenly understood why Return to Zero hadn't activated.
"Ryosuke… you actually stopped your own thinking!"
Stopping thought.
A universal ability of ultimate life forms.
Kars used this to wander through the cosmos.
Ryosuke, meanwhile, abandoned all capacity for thought. There was no intent to attack or defend. He and Star Platinum were now nothing more than "dead objects."
Just like when Gold Experience Requiem wants to attack someone hiding inside a room, it still has to smash through the wall first. It can't return the existence of the wall itself to zero.
In the original story, when Giorno fought Diavolo, he couldn't erase the existence of King Crimson either.
Now, Star Platinum stood in front of Ryosuke as a "wall" that possessed no awareness of attacking, defending, or counterattacking, only the instinctive motion of swinging its arms.
Of course, the consequence of shutting down thought was reduced flexibility.
Gold Experience Requiem still had various methods, and occasionally it could land hits on Ryosuke.
It could even make Ryosuke "never reach the truth of repairing his body," using that to counter his ultra-fast regeneration.
But…
Ryosuke's life energy was simply too vast.
And he still had projections of the past.
Once Giorno gave up attacking Ryosuke and turned to attack Uchiha Madara and the others, Ryosuke would instantly awaken, make a show of firing the cavalry spin, and force Giorno back to continue the battle of attrition.
As for whether Giorno could make Ryosuke "never reach the truth of awakening," Ryosuke judged that it was probably impossible. If that kind of soul-level Return to Zero really worked, then Giorno could simply prevent Ryosuke from switching or summoning Stands at all.
So next came the boring phase of standing still and grinding damage.
Kars couldn't do this. Dio couldn't do this. In the entire world, only Ryosuke, who had mastered Hamon and Spin, become an ultimate life form, cultivated projections of the past, and wielded multiple Stands, could pull it off.
Time passed second by second. Ryosuke accumulated more and more injuries, his entire body soaked in blood.
At first, Giorno created poisonous scorpions and venomous snakes to gnaw at Ryosuke's wounded body, but after discovering that they were absorbed by Ryosuke instead, he gave up.
A hint of irritation gradually appeared on Giorno's cold face. And beneath that irritation, an uncontrollable thought began to form in his heart, 'Could I really be defeated by such a boring method?'
If he fought, it would be a slow grind, who knew how long it would take.
If he left, he would have to face the pursuit of Made in Heaven plus the cavalry spin.
If he got caught while still in Requiem state, Ryosuke would just keep pretending to be a rock.
If Requiem was deactivated…
After letting Giorno enjoy himself long enough, it would be Ryosuke's turn to strike.
Just as Giorno was caught between advance and retreat, black light flashed, and two people walked over.
"Father Pucci said you might not be able to handle Ryosuke, so he sent us to give you a hand."
As they spoke, the black light on their bodies gradually faded, revealing their true forms and the Stands behind them.
[Prosciutto]
[Stand: Grateful Dead (Its ability is area-based aging.)]
[Cioccolata]
[Stand: Green Day (Its ability is area-based lethal mold.)]
Under Gold Experience Requiem's protection, the two area-type deadly abilities erupted simultaneously, instantly enveloping Ryosuke and Uchiha Madara and the others.
[T/N: Hello guys, translator here. Hope you all are enjoying the book and having a great day. I just started a new book "In a Hentai World As Takayanagi Family's Eldest Son" which, I hope you all will support. I am also now focusing on this account more and working on other fanfics as well. If you like any specific type of fanfic or franchise please let me know, I will keep an eye out for them.]