| Dracula VS Heaven Ascension DIO | |
|---|---|
| |
| Season | 6 |
| Overall Episode | 77 |
| Season Episode | 12 (Season Finale) |
| Air date | November 6th, 2022 |
| Written by | Shadow7615 |
| Episode guide | |
| Previous Goliath vs. Leonardo |
Next Zamasu vs. Master Xehanort (Season 6 Bonus Episode) |
| “ | Castlevania VS JoJo's Bizarre Adventure! Chaos and Heaven collide as two of fiction's most iconic vampires duke it out! Will DIO be the one to finally put Dracula down for good? Or will Dracula bring down DIO's World? | „ |
Dracula vs. Heaven Ascension DIO is the 77th episode and Season 6 Finale of DEATH BATTLE! by Shadow7615, featuring Dracula Vlad Ţepeş from the Castlevania series and Heaven Ascension DIO from the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure series in a battle between generational vampiric enemies.
Interlude[]
Boomstick: Vampires. The stuff of nightmares. Dreaded figures of the night. A perfect description of today's combatants.
Wiz: Dracula, the everlasting vampire lord and enemy of the Belmont Clan.
Boomstick: And Heaven Ascension DIO, the vampire nemesis of the Joestar bloodline that obtained heaven. He's Wiz and I'm Boomstick!
Wiz: And it's our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win... a Death Battle.
Dracula[]
Boomstick: Order and Chaos, basically me and Wiz in a nutshell. But they're also the two opposing forces in Castlevania. They’ve been going at it for centuries. Enter Mathias Cronqvist, a brilliant holy knight from the 11th century who just so happened to be best friends with Leon Belmont. Remember that, it’ll be important later. Serving in God's name, Mathias had been defined as a brilliant strategist and tactician.
Wiz: Sadly, Mathias lost his dear wife, Elisabetha. Her death affected him so intensely that he swore vengeance upon God himself. So he went in search of God’s opposite, Chaos. Obtaining Chaos’ power would ensure God understood his pain. By manipulating everyone he came across, Mathias obtained the Crimson Stone, commanding Death itself in the process, got Leon to murder another vampire, Walter Bernhard, and then got Death to absorb Walter's soul into the Crimson Stone.
Boomstick: Rejecting his humanity, Mathias became the most powerful vampire in the world, and offered the power of immortality to Leon. Unfortunately, Leon also lost his wife as a result of Mathias' schemes, thus best friends became the greatest of enemies. Though he couldn't end Mathias' life, Leon vowed that the Belmonts would one day destroy him, no matter how long it took.
Wiz: But Mathias had already won. With his immortal life achieved, he accomplished his vengeance, having defied God and the very concept of death. Now left to roam the world, Mathias discarded the last remnants of his original self, completing his transformation into the iconic vampire lord, Count Dracula. Though he wasn't a conventional vampire, Dracula was Chaos' avatar on Earth, so he got much more out of it than just eternal life.
Boomstick: While he got the usual vampiric powers you'd expect, Dracula's got way more! Including the ability to shapeshift into anything he wants. He can turn into a swarm of bats to quickly evade attacks. Become mist itself to be completely intangible, and transform into other creatures like a wolf. Though Drac will usually just chill out in his humanoid form, he can shapeshift whenever he wants.
Wiz: Dracula is just as imposing with his mental powers too, Dracula has often possessed others, as he did with Albus, and even Maxim Kischime via Dracula Wraith. His mental prowess is so great he can progressively make people go insane over time, such as when he influenced the Wallachia people, even though he was dead. Which may have been what started the fear behind Dracula's inevitable return.
Boomstick: Though Drac's most devastating ability is his Power of Dominance. Allowing him to absorb the souls of enemies he has defeated, and command those very souls as if they were his servants. Stealing souls is also one way Drac can get that sweet, sweet blood to keep himself alive. Sure, he can do it the old fashioned way, but when you can steal people's souls away, why not?
Wiz: Just as fearsome is Dracula's mastery of magic. He can manipulate fire and lightning fairly easily, though his greatest is Chaos Magic. With it, he can invoke hellfire, summon pillars of energy, call down a meteor shower, and perhaps most impressive of all, stop time, and bend reality to his will. Dracula's magic can also erase people from existence, Albus, who tried harnessing a Glyph that contained Dracula's power, perished under the effects of Dracula's magic.
Boomstick: Who could forget one of his strongest attacks, Demonic Meggido! Fun fact: Walter had a similar move to Demonic Meggido when he was still alive and kicking. But we all know Drac's version is far more powerful and destructive. Dracula also has some wicked Blood Magic, he can make it rain blood from the sky. Dark Metamorphosis is also handy for improving his bloodsucking!
Wiz: With the immense power of Chaos, Dracula can transform into all sorts of wicked monsters. Most famously, he transforms into a green-skinned beast. Though Dracula's arsenal of transformations is so great it even puts Dragon Ball characters to shame. Dracula can transform into a giant bat, a giant demon, a giant dragon, a giant demon face... and even a painting of himself that spews bats from his mouth.
Boomstick: My favourites are the True Dracula forms! The first one is what I can only describe as a Blood Angel since he gains a bunch of wings and can even use them as projectiles. Then there's this more monstrous version which looked like he decided to sit on a throne that grew arms and wings, and spawned a bunch of Xenomorph heads. If you needed proof Dracula was the opposite of God, well, here you go!
Wiz: Dracula is one of, if not, the most powerful character in Castlevania history. He has fought many powerful enemies, including the Belmont clan, the Belnades clan, and the Ecclesia organization. He even battled his flesh and blood, Alucard. As he's tied to Chaos and the Chaotic Realm, Dracula's power exceeds even Time Reaper, who was going to erase the entire Castlevania timeline. He's also superior to Time Reaper's master, Galamoth.
Boomstick: Dracula has consistently kept pace with his foes, namely Leon Belmont and Alucard, both of them have reacted to and dodged beams of light from either Dracula's forces, or Dracula himself. Even Nuculais, a being made purely of light, wasn't enough, since Trevor Belmont could dodge that too. Anyway you look at it, Dracula is effortlessly rocking speeds Faster than Light.
Wiz: And thanks to his connection to Chaos, Dracula is extremely difficult to kill. He's survived the destruction of his physical body, having his soul obliterated, and can regenerate from just a bit of his blood. Suffice it to say, taking down Dracula is a challenge only a few could ever hope to achieve. This is why Dracula's enemies have made sure to exploit his weaknesses. Being the archetypal vampire, Dracula is vulnerable to sunlight.
Boomstick: But because he's the opposite of God, it means he's vulnerable to holy weapons and magic blessed by the church. And in true 80s video game fashion, Dracula's head is a notable weak point, which some of those persistent Belmonts used against Dracula to put him down for a century. But no matter how many times Dracula got his shit kicked in, he always bounced back. But even Dracula would run out of time.
Wiz: On the eve of the 21st century, Dracula declared he would destroy all of mankind. In response, Dracula's enemies from generations of conflict against the Dark Lord joined forces with other powerful figures, including Alucard, a descendant of the Belnades clan, the Hakuba family, and the most capable combatants humanity had at the time. Their combined effort finally brought an end to the Dark Lord once and for all.
Boomstick: They destroyed every last trace of Dracula until nothing remained. And for damn good measure, they sealed Dracula's soul and Castlevania itself inside an eclipse! With his connection to Chaos broken after 900 years, Dracula was dead for real this time. So instead, Dracula was reincarnated. Enter Soma Cruz. A young high schooler from Japan.
Wiz: During a fateful eclipse in 2035, Soma roamed Castlevania unaware he once called this place home in his past life. But Chaos remained, and Soma soon learned the truth, he was Dracula's reincarnation, and that he was poised to become the new Dark Lord and fully inherit Dracula's mantle. He didn't like that idea, so he fought and rejected Chaos, ensuring the complete and utter destruction of Chaos, bringing an end to it all.
Boomstick: With Chaos wiped out, and Soma averting his destiny as the new Dracula, that closed the book on almost 1,000 years of history. While Dracula's powers still reside within Soma, that young anime boy now walks his own path. Free to do whatever he wanted, knowing that Dracula and Chaos are no more.
Wiz: Though it is undeniable, Count Dracula Vlad Ţepeş defined generations of history, one that the world will never forget.
Dracula: What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets! But enough talk! Have at you!
Heaven Ascension DIO[]
Wiz: You know him. You remember his iconic lines. You know that it was him, DIO! For multiple generations of the Joestar bloodline, Dio Brando was their greatest enemy. None before or after him left their mark on the Joestars quite like DIO did. From menacing Jonathan to being Jotaro's ultimate nemesis. Even Jolyne joined the fight when DIO's followers continued his grand ambitions despite the vampire being six feet under.
Boomstick: But for this version of DIO, his story didn’t end at Stardust Crusaders. DIO killed the Joestars and their allies, allowing him to pursue his goal of “obtaining heaven” completely unopposed. And before we knew it, DIO transcended both humanity and being a vampire, and became something even greater. He became a God. He became Heaven Ascension DIO, or DIO, Gone to Heaven. Take your pick.
Wiz: With his loyal companion, Enrico Pucci, DIO gathered the souls of 36 Sinners, and used them to evolve both himself and his stand to this new godly level. Now the most powerful being in the universe, DIO soon conquered the world and rewrote the history of the entire world to believe a single truth, DIO was their one and only God. At last, DIO had achieved his ultimate victory. He had obtained heaven.
Boomstick: Meanwhile, the funny president dude got stuck in the Infinite Spin, all he could do was travel to different dimensions. Lucky for him, he ended up finding DIO's world. DIO, from out of nowhere, freed Funny Valentine from the effects of the Infinite Spin. As thanks for his freedom, DIO learned of the Saint's Corpse Parts, which, if gathered, would allow DIO to obtain even more power than what he had already.
Wiz: Although this version of DIO came from a timeline where he obtained heaven, he still experienced some version of Stardust Crusaders. Though as he transcended both humanity and vampirism, it's unlikely DIO retained his vampiric abilities. But he did retain his Stand, which had now evolved into The World Over Heaven. And as to be expected, The World Over Heaven retained its ability to stop time.
Boomstick: The original timeline DIO, before he died, improved The World's Time Stop to 9 seconds. Since The World Over Heaven evolved from the original, safe to say that it too can stop time for 9 seconds. However, something that's never explained is whether or not the Time Stop improved any further. It's not guaranteed, since The World Over Heaven received a new very powerful ability thanks to its evolution.
Wiz: The World Over Heaven's new ability: Reality Overwrite. With it, DIO can rewrite practically anything he desires. And this ability has demonstrated some incredible versatility. He can steal or even absorb the souls of his foes, heal wounds, revive the dead, erase beings from existence, and most impressively, negate the attacks of others. This is how Heaven Ascension DIO conquered his timeline, literally rewriting the script of his world's history.
Boomstick: Only one problem, because Reality Overwrite is bound to The World Over Heaven, and not Heaven Ascension DIO specifically, The World Over Heaven needs to have made contact with whatever DIO wants to overwrite. Which sounds confusing, how could DIO have rewritten everything in his world if he had to punch it? I don't wanna dwell on that for too long, my head's hurting already.
Wiz: With his ascension in power, DIO himself also obtained new abilities. He can teleport, control the minds of others, summon bolts of lightning, summon others to his personal dimension, and obviously travel to other dimensions. Which is exactly what he did once he learned of the main timeline that his branched off of. Now in search of the Saint's Corpse Parts, DIO sought them the only way he knew how, get the Joestars involved.
Boomstick: Suddenly, the entirety of JoJo's roster was put into a massive battle with this newly ascended DIO and his forces, both willing, and bent to his will. And just as DIO hoped, the Joestars and their allies rounded up all the Saint's Corpse Parts. Having played right into DIO's hands, he very nearly won right then and there, but he found Jotaro Kujo was able to stop him, just as it was in the original timeline.
Wiz: Even with that setback, DIO persisted, allowing the Saint's Corpse Parts to be gathered all over again, ensuring his plans would unfold, and no Joestar would stop him, no matter the timeline. This epic battle across space and time saw DIO face off against some of the most powerful Stands and Stand users, in JoJo history.
Boomstick: He defeated almost every JoJo in the series, even his flesh and blood, Giorno Giovanna. His Stand, Golden Experience Requiem, is capable of nullifying the very will and actions of anyone who dares oppose it. But Heaven Ascension DIO and The World Over Heaven were so powerful they negated the very act of nullifying DIO's action.
Wiz: Heaven Ascension DIO also did battle with Funny Valentine, who betrayed him to help the Joestars. Their battle took place across multiple dimensions but swiftly ended with DIO erasing the President from existence. With all but a few of his enemies defeated, Heaven Ascension DIO was able to absorb the Saint's Corpse Parts and increase his power even further. That allowed him to start overwriting reality in the main JoJo timeline.
Boomstick: Which he used primarily to recreate his personal dimension in the main timeline. Speaking of which, DIO's personal dimension, the Over Heaven Area, is a dimension containing several stars, which shows Reality Overwrite is capable of cosmic-level feats. Potentially, this could include the entire universe itself. Though he didn't show any new speed feats, DIO is still undoubtedly Faster than Light.
Wiz: When he was still a vampire, DIO, and The World were capable of matching Star Platinum, who could match Silver Chariot, which was fast enough to cut a beam of light. So that speed is naturally available to Heaven Ascension DIO. It could potentially be faster, but again, DIO did not perform any speed feats to suggest he was any faster than his original timeline counterpart.
Boomstick: But, even with the power of nigh-omnipotence and on the verge of completely conquering the main JoJo timeline, DIO still makes the same damn mistakes. As The World Over Heaven gained even more power, it simultaneously caused Jotaro's Star Platinum to evolve. Just as it evolved into Star Platinum: The World originally, DIO caused Star Platinum to evolve into Star Platinum Over Heaven.
Wiz: The same Reality Overwrite powers were bestowed to Star Platinum Over Heaven, allowing Jotaro to overwrite The World Over Heaven's own overwrite. Just as he did in the original timeline, DIO acted rashly and attempted to destroy Jotaro with his immense power. But as he did not experience defeat in his Stardust Crusaders, he learned much too late that there is one thing you must never do.
Boomstick: Never piss off Jotaro. And with that, he eradicated Heaven Ascension DIO once and for all. And with the Reality Overwrite, Jotaro restored the main JoJo timeline, but in doing so, rewrote history to where none of the Joestars, or their allies, heroically perished in battle. That's right, your favorite characters are alive and well in this restored JoJo timeline.
Wiz: It ushered in an era of peace, one untouched by DIO's grand ambitions. One where heaven would never be obtained. The diary which made that possible was burned to cinders, its contents never to be read again.
Boomstick: This was the world DIO would never menace or conquer. The world DIO would never see through the Eyes of Heaven.
Heaven Ascension DIO: Unbelievable... Never for a moment did I think you'd be able to intervene in my reality... But by its very nature, there can only ever be one reality... And the reality that I, DIO, create... is more than enough!
DEATH BATTLE![]
The sunset loomed overhead, and soon the darkness of night blanketed the skies. The only companion was the full moon that illuminated the night. However, this was not to be an ordinary night. Without warning, a striking shadow was cast over Romania. If you were brave enough to look up at the night sky, you would not find a clear night sky, instead, you find a striking shadow that sharply cast a symbol of fear and terror, the likes of which none had expected to see return for another century.
Those who bore witness to this phenomenon knew, this time, that the dreaded dark lord had returned, and his castle had erected itself within Romanian land once more. None dared to confront the castle, the fear was far too palpable. However, despite the dark lord's return, things were quiet, almost eerily so. Nevertheless, some feared what may come, and remained in hiding. Wishing not to become one of the dark lord's victims.
At that same time, in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, one man stood at the highest point and took in the night sky, revelling in success. Gazing upon the full moon, feeling almost nostalgic. His ecstasy was nothing short of euphoric. Everything was as he desired, nothing could stop him now. At least, these were his thoughts and feelings at that moment. Suddenly, he felt a shiver run down his spine. A fleeting feeling inspired thoughts of his fallen foes, but he knew they were gone. Which only made this more perplexing.
He watched as the dark lord's floating castle manifested itself within Cairo's sky. Its sharp and striking design is carved as a shadow of the moon's light. Certain that this was the work of his enemies, the Cairo man lept from his vantage point and vanished from sight. In truth, he had simply teleported within the castle's walls. He soon found himself wandering the halls of Castlevania.
The architecture and design of the castle made the man feel reminiscent of a castle south of London that he once called home. Though soon, he recognized a smell, one that also felt nostalgic, but one he couldn't ignore. Ascending a staircase, the man entered a room with a throne poised at its center. He looked to see a man sitting there, with a wine glass in his hand, filled with crimson. Sensing the situation pretty quickly, he arrived at a logical conclusion.
"A vampire? So there are still some of you left in this world… No matter. Your time has passed, and soon enough, you will no longer exist" the man uttered, dismissing the vampire as nothing more than the product of a bygone era. The one making such a bold threat was none other than Dio Brando, bearing the glistening visage of having obtained heaven, Heaven Ascension DIO.
"A man? Your kind continues to set foot in my domain, only truly capable of prolonging the inevitable. I shall tolerate your stubbornness no longer" the vampire retaliated with a critical assessment of his own. Though this wasn't coming from some vampire, it was the lord of this castle, Dracula. The two finally settled their initial impressions of each other, but DIO continued their theatrics.
"Do not presume anything, vampire. You are nothing more than the next victim to be crushed beneath my foot" DIO countered with haste. Dracula, however, had seen this song and dance play out before, albeit none had quite been as arrogant as this one. "If you believe this will go any differently, then you are truly the fool" Dracula continued to throw DIO's words to the wind, they were truly worthless.
"The fool? No, I am The World!" DIO boldly declared as he exerted a powerful aura around him, which caught Dracula's attention and knocked his wine glass off his throne. "The world? That's not saying much. Even after centuries, the human race still suffers from the same genetic weakness. You truly believe your problems can be solved without so much as stubborn arrogance and faith. And you fight over trivial concerns that have brought nothing but pain" Dracula's speech, though long-winded, was not bothering DIO, he wanted to see if anything would come of it.
"Humanity failed to destroy me, and so here I stand once more. You are but a minor inconvenience that thinks he can stop me" Dracula concluded. He awaited DIO's response. DIO, of course, had even more fighting words for his vampiric challenger. "You will know your place, vampire. For I, DIO, have transcended humanity. You have transcended your humanity as well. I can smell your very existence. It reeks of all you have slain in the name of your destiny of defiance" DIO uttered, reflecting as much as he could from Dracula's speech, looking at the vampire with nothing but petty contempt for something so unnecessary.
"I, DIO, am nothing like you, vampire. I am not some idealistic human. I am a God. I have obtained heaven. Vampires like yourself a lingering flame that can extinguish any time I choose. Those who challenge gods will learn to kneel before them" Putting his full colors on display, DIO's power finally rushed from his head to his mouth as he issued his declaration of war. "For any God, there is only one destination: Oblivion. Enjoy your final moments, for you shall soon tremble in the depths of hell" Dracula had at last grown tired of their exchange, rising from his throne.
Impressed that the vampire would even dare to get up, DIO taunted him one last time. "Oh? Do you want to destroy me? Then, by all means, see if you can harm me" In his current position, DIO simply remained put and invited Dracula to attack him. Seeing that their theatrics had come to an end, Dracula readied himself for yet another battle, but perhaps one that would truly be worth remembering. "Enough talk, God. Have at you!" Dracula declared as he raised his right arm upward.
FIGHT!
(Cue DIO Battle - Chikayo Fukuda)
Immediately, Dracula was enveloped within a pillar of light, disappearing from DIO's sight. Knowing that the vampire will be up to something tricky, DIO checked his surroundings. Moments later, DIO spotted Dracula, but not before realizing the balls of flame headed right for him. But these were but minor obstacles, which DIO effortlessly teleported past. Noticing his foe was capable of teleportation as well, Dracula knew he had to approach this fight with a bit more than just his regular tactics. Acting on that information, Dracula teleported. Though this time, he avoided any form of light so that he could remain in darkness.
Looking around for his foe, DIO noticed something wasn't right. At that moment, DIO heard eerie sounds coming from behind him. He turned around to see a swarm of bats headed right for him. Teleporting away, DIO knew he only had a brief time before the bats would change course and resume pursuing him. The collective swarm all turned to DIO's new location and chased him. Though DIO did not have time for a needless cat-and-mouse chase.
Though without warning, another swarm of bats appeared behind him. Approached on two fronts, DIO's only solution was to teleport. Moving to where both swarms could not approach him together, DIO was prepared for their assault. But without warning, some bats appeared behind him. And, suddenly, Dracula appeared. The vampire lord grabbed DIO by his throat and prepared to drain him of his blood. Relishing in the success of having manipulated DIO with just a couple of swarms of bats, Dracula delighted, unleashing a devilish laugh, which only irritated DIO.
Refusing to allow Dracula any chance at sucking his blood and potentially turning him into a zombie, DIO's fighting spirit intensified, and at that moment, The World Over Heaven emerged beside DIO. Without a single word, DIO commanded his Stand to take action. The World Over Heaven unleashed a flurry of rapid punches. The attack caught Dracula completely off guard, causing him to lose his hold over DIO.
Seeing that he had claimed the advantage, DIO commanded The World Over Heaven to continue its attack. "MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA!" DIO watched as Dracula helplessly fell to the ground, positively enjoying the fact Dracula is powerless to stop his Stand. Perplexed beyond belief, Dracula could not tell what had struck him. Nevertheless, he teleported to afford himself a proper observation of what was going on. He looked in DIO's direction, but all he could see with his two eyes was the so-called "God" that stood before him.
But as Dracula focused his power, he sensed the presence of an entity by DIO's side, which must have been what attacked him. Now having to contend with two powerful foes, Dracula knew he was in for a fight unlike any he'd ever experienced before. DIO commanded The World Over Heaven to attack Dracula. However, Dracula anticipated the attack, and, before DIO's Stand could land its first punch, Dracula's physical form dispersed into a swarm of bats and flew away from The World Over Heaven.
At that moment, DIO was astonished. All he could do was think to himself "He can see The World?". The vampire lord proved to be more powerful than DIO initially surmised. The World Over Heaven returned to DIO's side, not wishing to lose its close-range effectiveness. The swarm of bats that Dracula transformed into soon came together, forming into Dracula. With his foe in sight, Dracula saw an opportunity. Dracula simply waved his hand, and in an instant, Dracula launched a lightning bolt from his hand, aimed right at DIO.
At that moment, DIO nonchalantly teleported, evading the lightning bolt completely. Seeing that Dracula had opted to fight from long-range, DIO knew he couldn't accomplish much at such a distance. He teleported once again, this time appearing behind Dracula. The vampire lord then realized DIO wasn't to his front. Dracula turned to locate DIO but instead ate a flurry of punches from The World Over Heaven. DIO rejoiced yet again as he commanded The World Over Heaven to conclude its attack, knocking Dracula to the ground.
In a moment of euphoric success, DIO taunted Dracula once again, knowing that Dracula was aware of The World Over Heaven. "My Stand power is invincible! I am immortal! Omnipotent!" DIO enthusiastically celebrated as the ruffled Dracula arose to his feet. Swiping the dust off himself, Dracula turned to DIO, however, chose not to respond, let alone talk. DIO noticed this and decided to taunt the vampire lord once again.
However, before a sound left DIO's mouth, the sound of footsteps echoed through the halls of Castlevania, which garnered DIO's attention. He turned to see what was going on, The World Over Heaven took DIO's original position and kept an eye on Dracula. As the footsteps got louder, DIO knew it was not something natural, and just moments later, his thoughts were confirmed. A group of Armors marched toward DIO as if they were ordered to do so. DIO did not see these foes as any kind of threat.
Nevertheless, he humored their battle and charged forward. With a single strike, DIO felled each Armor that came after him, effortlessly dispatching them one by one. The World Over Heaven was carefully observing Dracula, who chose now to act. Dracula waved his hand forward, launching a magic blast toward DIO. The World Over Heaven guarded against the magic attack, protecting DIO from harm.
At that moment, DIO noticed Dracula was attempting to exploit his vulnerability. DIO simply looked at this and deemed it a lowly tactic. In an instant, DIO and The World Over Heaven swapped places. With The World Over Heaven battling these foes, the Armors suddenly dropped like flies as DIO stood there looking at Dracula. "I have misjudged you, vampire. You aren't as insignificant as I, DIO, had claimed. You have my attention now" DIO commended Dracula for demonstrating he was not just an ancient novelty, but a true adversary, clapping gracefully.
Although DIO was sincere in his appraisal of Dracula's powers, the vampire lord was not accepting of it. "Oh? Have you grown tired of our conversation?" DIO asked of the vampire lord. Of course, Dracula did not respond to his foe. Merely standing there quietly. "If that is the reality you seek I, DIO, shall put you out of your misery" DIO added, as he cemented his intentions. The World Over Heaven, having dispatched the horde of Armors, returned to DIO's side. Thereafter, it charged toward Dracula, ready to inflict a serious wound.
Predictably, Dracula shapeshifted to avoid the attack. This, however, was something DIO had anticipated, the moment had been prepared for. Before Dracula activated his shapeshifting, everything came to a stop. All had now been stopped in time. The World Over Heaven had activated its Time Stop, which would last several seconds. More than enough time for DIO to act. The World Over Heaven acted per DIO's instruction, and, for the entire duration of the time stop, unleashed a rapid series of punches, all of them culminating in a singular massive impact once time resumed.
Those seconds passed, thusly DIO declared "And so... time resumes". In that instant, Dracula felt a thousand punches striking him simultaneously, launching the vampire lord into the wall behind him. The brick and stone that held that wall together crumbled as Dracula crashed into it. Without question, it was the hardest strike Dracula had ever received. Though it did not leave much behind, as, just moments later, Dracula was back on his feet, now even warier of DIO's immense power.
This "God" did indeed possess power, that thought ran through Dracula's mind. But it did not intimidate him. It merely stoked the flame in his heart. "Impressive. You have become far stronger than most vampires" DIO commended Dracula's survivability. Though he was certainly far from finished, DIO was more than willing to acknowledge that killing the vampire lord was going to take more than what he'd expected of typical vampires.
Such were DIO's thoughts, but he knew that the most effective way from now on was to provoke the vampire lord into making a mistake, or finding an opportunity to bring a swift end to this vampire's existence. Either of those was preferable for DIO. And so he waited for Dracula to resume the battle. And as he anticipated, Dracula was prompt. A pillar of light consumed Dracula as the vampire lord vanished from sight. Reappearing on the other side of the room.
Waving his hand, Dracula cast flames, spreading them across the room, rather than directly toward DIO. This tactic got DIO's attention, as it seemed more strategic. With more proof that Dracula was no simple-minded fool, DIO carefully observed the flames, as they circled the room, preventing either of them from escaping. "Trapping me in here is a wise call. But you also leave your followers behind. What good can you achieve on your own?" DIO taunted Dracula further, putting two and two together and deducing that Dracula commanded the denizens of this castle.
"No matter. You shall see reality without interruption" DIO asserted as he teleported toward Dracula, preparing to strike. Dracula, instead of shapeshifting as DIO would anticipate, allowed himself to be attacked. The World Over Heaven unleashed a flurry of strikes. But that was what Dracula had anticipated. And DIO played right into Dracula's hands. As The World Over Heaven went for the final punch to launch Dracula, suddenly, Dracula withstood the punch.
At that moment, DIO was stunned to see how fortified Dracula had become. As DIO made eye contact with the vampire lord, he saw that his foe's eyes had changed from regular human-looking eyes. Instead, the sclera turned crimson red. His pupil and iris both turned pure white. The simple fact DIO could not tell what was going on sent a shiver running down his spine. It was not something DIO knew of, even from his experience as a vampire.
It was a nightmarish sight and one that DIO did not want to let persist any longer than necessary. Dracula slowly approached DIO, and The World Over Heaven continued to punch. However, as if Dracula had become something else entirely, Dracula just ignored the punches inflicted upon him. Even those launched directly at his face. The sudden display of power was alarming to DIO, it made him temporarily lose composure.
But in just moments, DIO had regained his senses and concluded that he needed to up his game to break through Dracula's newly imposed defences. "You are in my walls, you walk through these hallowed halls. So long as you are in my domain, your life is mine to claim" Dracula's rhythmic threat was both impressive and utterly terrifying. For the first time, DIO felt genuine fear at Dracula's immense potential. It frightened him.
But DIO swallowed that fear, knowing that he could not allow Dracula to maintain this advantage in psychological warfare. It was then that DIO thought of an idea, something that could help regain his superiority over the vampire lord. To have it all unfold ideally, DIO simply entered a relaxed stance and glared at Dracula, who slowly approached him
(Cue Dance of Illusions - Sanoppi & Michiru Yamane)
"A God that does not fear death? Perhaps you are a God worth acknowledging" Dracula looked at DIO's relaxed stance as acceptance of his impending demise. At that moment, Dracula made the bold move to strike DIO physically. Though this was exactly what DIO had hoped for. Before the strike could be seen to its completion, DIO once again activated The World Over Heaven's Time Stop. With everything around him grinding to a halt, DIO smirked.
"I, DIO, fear nothing, and no one. You are merely reprising a role you've played for centuries. You pose no threat!" DIO ferociously claimed, his malice exerting through his breath and exhaling through his tightly closed mouth. DIO and The World Over Heaven approached Dracula at maximum close-range effectiveness. The World Over Heaven unleashed a rapid-fire series of punches, before delivering the final blow into Dracula's abdomen, punching right through his body, with its first emerging on the other side.
"But, you have played the role well. One that I will gladly recall one day... and so, time resumes" DIO claimed as the Time Stop concluded, and Dracula launched across the room and through the wall, leaving a massive hole behind him. DIO peered over the side to see Dracula had fallen to the floor below. DIO gracefully descended to that floor where he saw Dracula bleeding out from the gaping hole in his chest.
DIO knew that the vampire's life was moments from ending, as all that blood loss was going to prove too devastating for him to recover. Though DIO seemed devoid of any empathy. For Dracula, DIO was almost sad to see him go, a vampire of his skill and power was so unlike any DIO had ever seen before. Though before DIO could think about his fallen foe any further, he notice Dracula's persistence, clinging to life as best he could.
It was merely a fruitless endeavour in DIO's mind, the last moments of life spent desperately trying to cling to it, from beyond the edge of death. However, this was DIO's mistake, and he was about to realize it. Dracula's body began to shake and contort before Dracula suddenly underwent a brutal transformation. The once humanoid shape of Dracula disappeared as a monster formed to take his place. DIO was astonished and immediately teleported away from the scene to observe it safely.
His eyes could not believe what they were seeing. Dracula had completed his transformation. Dracula now bore the appearance of a beast, with green skin, standing on two legs, and was nothing short of unrecognizable compared to the vampire lord. "Now, you will know fear and despair!" Dracula's voice unexpected came out of the beast's mouth, which further shocked DIO. This beast was not mindless in the slightest. It was not only of a sound mind, but it bore Dracula's intellect. At this moment, DIO knew that Dracula was far beyond any vampire he'd even heard of.
Could he have discovered a being who harnessed the full potential of the Stone Mask and became a vampire greater than he? That thought did not sit pleasantly in his mind, but DIO could not dwell on it, as the now Beast Dracula charged toward DIO. Immediately, The World Over Heaven came to DIO's protection, unleashing a flurry of punches on the fearsome beast. The punches were able to knock the beast down. This was merely temporary. As if the punches were just an inconvenience, the beast continued to charge toward DIO.
And this time, the beast withstood the barrage of punches and landed a slashing strike with its claws on DIO directly. Immediately, DIO teleported away. The beast turned his head to locate DIO. Though initially unable to find him. DIO soon reemerged, surprisingly with no signs of injury to his body. "What a fearsome display of power. Even as a rampaging monster, you are not a mindless fool" DIO congratulated Dracula for demonstrating impressive control over such immense and intimidating power.
The beast did not seem to care much for DIO's words but did notice DIO had no damage as if the damage itself had never been inflicted in the first place. If it was an illusion, he would surely see through it. But Dracula did not allow that thought to sit in his mind, as he needed to focus on the battle at hand.
"Such power is commendable. But I, DIO, have power far superior to your own" DIO simply stood there calmly as, without warning, a lightning bolt raced down from the skies above to strike the beast Dracula. And it was a success. Not having anticipated elemental power from DIO. Dracula was reminded that, even in this bestial form, he could not rely solely on his physical strength. Dracula recalled that DIO could only attack him from close range, and before his transformation, DIO could not often land attacks, instead retaliating when Dracula himself attacked.
Dracula knew how to proceed. As he shrugged off the electrical damage, he readied himself to continue fighting. Immediately, DIO knew something was up, the beast was no longer charging in with reckless abandon. The beast had begun to strategize once again. It was fascinating to DIO, but it did not mean he let his guard down. DIO couldn't get close enough to inflict any real damage. But knew he could experiment with his powers to find something that worked.
Without warning, DIO teleported and reappeared right in front of Dracula's bestial form. Dracula immediately went to strike. The World Over Heaven acted accordingly, protecting its master from harm. Though at that moment, Dracula waved his arm, launching a wave of electricity across the room, although The World Over Heaven was not affected by the damage, its wide area of effect meant that it was able to strike and deal electrical damage to DIO.
Following up on his successful attack, Dracula slashed at DIO with his claws, launching DIO into the air with the first swipe, and then knocking DIO across the room with the second. With some distance between them, DIO was able to use those few moments to suddenly display that the damage he received had now disappeared. Dracula was unsure what DIO was doing, but it proved to be effective and completely rendered Dracula's attacks ineffective.
At this moment in time, both Dracula and DIO recognized the other truly displayed power that befits them. Figuring out a way to end their existence was more and more troublesome the more their apparent survivability showed itself. But the fight continued as DIO activated his Time Stop once again. Approaching Dracula's bestial form once again. The World Over Heaven unleashed a barrage of punches, this time, focusing on the arm and leg joints, looking to stagger and weaken the beast.
Once time resumed, Dracula collapsed to the ground and tried to gather the energy to get back up. Though that was quickly accompanied by DIO gazing up to the cloudy skies above and launching a lightning bolt toward the downed bestial vampire. Unexpectedly, the lightning stopped right before Dracula got hit with it. It seemed almost suspended in animation, it was truly impressive to witness. But for DIO, it almost froze him in place.
With a single gesture, Dracula redirected the lightning bolt toward DIO, who reacted in time to leap aside and evade the lightning bolt. Seeing that his main long-range option was becoming less reliable, DIO knew he had to stick to his close-range effectiveness. Though that was something Dracula refused, as he launched a stream of flames from his hands. Dracula's ability to use his magic powers while in his bestial form, that's something that also surprised DIO.
With a wave of his hands, Dracula cast a sea of flames across the room, limiting DIO's area of escape. The World Over Heaven simply punched, using its rapid-fire punches to keep the flames from reaching it or DIO. Although the idea was improvised and greatly afforded DIO some extra time, he knew that he could not maintain this current situation. It would only continue to lean more in favour of Dracula.
At that moment, Dracula launched several fireballs from his bestial mouth, aiming them at DIO. This moment was when DIO knew he could not gain control of the battle under these circumstances. Instead, DIO feigned his vulnerability, allowing himself to be hit by the fireballs, which knocked DIO through a wall and onto the floor below. DIO's body was burnt and scarred across his torso. But again, those injuries vanished just moments later.
By the time Dracula's flames had dispersed and he peered out to see DIO's current location, he again noticed DIO looked unharmed. Whatever was going on, it was truly beginning to irritate Dracula. So, instead of joining DIO on the floor below, he instead remained where he was, inviting DIO to rejoin the battle. Naturally, DIO accepted the offer and instantly teleported behind Dracula, where The World Over Heaven promptly exploited Dracula's complacency, delivering many, many punches before the finishing strike knocked the beast to the ground.
The beast form had begun to feel less effective than Dracula's natural form. Dracula contemplated returning to his original form and continuing the fight with the body he is most well-versed in using for combat. Though DIO took this chance to comment yet again "Perhaps I was wrong. You may bear the intellect of a vampire, but you're a weak dog. You thought that this form would enable you to triumph? You were gravely mistaken. And now you wil-"
Before DIO could finish his sentence, Dracula acted in a moment of fury, attempting to bite DIO's head clean off. But before Dracula could chomp on his victim, DIO activated his time stop once again. "Tsk tsk tsk tsk" DIO looked at Dracula's petty attempt to attack him with nothing but irritation. "You thought your surprise attack would work, but it was against, I, DIO!" The World Over Heaven unleashed a barrage of punches against Dracula's bestial face, making sure that he felt how much DIO did not care for such a lowly and cowardly move.
When time resumed, Dracula's attempt to bite DIO immediately reversed and Dracula fell back to the ground with abrupt force, nearly breaking his neck in the process. DIO looked down upon Dracula's current form and lamented how such a terrifying force that would undoubtedly stoke fear in the hearts of men, has been reduced to a pathetic waste of power. It was not deserving of this existence, one that DIO would promptly see erased.
However, before DIO could act on his intentions, Dracula's bestial roars became human lament as Dracula reverted to his original form, the vampire lord seemed to kneel on the ground, trying to regain what he had lost. DIO saw this as an opportunity, the last one that he would offer to Dracula before there was no going back. "I, DIO, must confess that you have demonstrated great power, it would be a real waste to see someone of your talents disappear from this world" DIO commented, praising Dracula's impressive powers.
Such powers DIO looked at and remarked as worthy ones to have by his side. His powers weren't attributed to a Stand, but instead the fullest extent of vampirism. It wasn't something DIO was going to throw away without consideration. "So I’m offering you a choice; if you pledge your eternal loyalty to me, we shall rule this world. But if you rise to your feet and approach me, your existence in this world will meet a most unfortunate end" DIO stated, as he stepped back and awaited Dracula's response.
(Cue Lord of the Castle - Yoko Shimomura)
"Your offer means nothing!" Dracula shouted as red energy gathered around him. DIO put some distance between him and Dracula, looking to see what was happening now. Perhaps there was a residue of a challenge left in Dracula after all. What DIO didn't know was that Dracula had been abstaining from his truest displays of power. But now, such reservations were out the door. As the red energy gathered around Dracula, the vampire lord lifted himself off the ground and into the air.
As he ascended, Dracula warped the very fabric of reality around them. The tangible world of inside Castlevania twisted and warped like it was made of paper. DIO and The World Over Heaven watched on in amazement, the truest extent of Dracula's power was not unlike DIO's own Reality Overwrite. As the reality warping finished, the environment was now a barren wasteland, with a pale crimson moon in the night sky, and red clouds blanketing the pitch black sky.
Finally, Dracula gained six red wings on his back, which supported him in the air. Dracula completed his transformation into his true form. "If you thought I had run short of ways to make you suffer, wait until you see what I do with you now." Dracula proclaimed as he ascended into the air as if he were an angel on his way to heaven. DIO looked upon his foe, now decorated in his true form's colors. It gave DIO cause to smile, as he had finally drawn out his foe's true potential.
At least he would vanish from this world knowing he fought to the fullest. Dracula raised his arms into the air as, without warning, it began to rain. Immediately, DIO recognized the smell. It was raining, it was a downpour of blood from the skies above. The bombardment instantly got to teleport out of the way, avoiding the rain as best he could. At that moment, DIO had a brilliant idea. As Dracula remained stationary, DIO decided to punish him for not being on the move.
Harnessing his godly power, DIO summoned a lightning bolt from the clouds above. Directing the lightning to Dracula. The bolt came charging down at the vampire lord. However, just moments before the leader struck true, Dracula glared up slowly to see the leader of the lightning bolt just mere inches from his face. "How poetic that God dares to strike me down where I stand" Dracula remarked as he looked at DIO, who was astonished to see his attack completely backfire.
To add insult to injury, Dracula manipulated and redirected DIO's lightning bolt at its caster. Although DIO was utterly caught off guard by Dracula's impressive display of speed, DIO was able to teleport and avoid his lightning bolt. However, in DIO's successful evasion of the lightning bolt, he forgot about the blood raining down from the sky. As some of them made contact with his body, he felt a cindering pain in his body.
Immediately, The World Over Heaven emerged and shielded DIO from the blood rain. However, without warning, the tips of Dracula's wings impaled DIO's body, all six of them. The World Over Heaven winced in pain, sharing in DIO's pain, but held down the fort, continuing to protect DIO's body from harm. After a few seconds, Dracula commanded the tips of his wings, revealed to have been projectiles, returned to him. DIO fell to the ground, and for a genuine moment, he was vulnerable.
However, Dracula continued to make it rain. And this was exactly what DIO had hoped for, tapping into Reality Overwrite, DIO completely overwrote his injuries as if they never happened. DIO looked up to see that Dracula was able to remain in place because the rain simply did not fall on him. And used that knowledge to his advantage. Teleporting right behind Dracula, The World Over Heaven unleashed a far more intense flurry of punches, and, with a final punch, knocked Dracula to the ground.
The rain seemed to come to a stop. DIO was moments from approaching Dracula when the vampire lord activated several red energy orbs which flew towards and honed in on DIO. The World Over Heaven responded promptly, striking the orbs and eradicating them one by one. Dracula was moments from recovering when just before he could rise, DIO stood there, looking down upon him. "Allow me to compliment you as the greatest vampire to have walked the Earth. But your tricks have run their course" DIO claimed.
Looking at his high and mighty foe, Dracula did not retort, merely waiting to see what would happen next. "But do not worry, you will be known as the greatest vampire, perhaps even more so than I, DIO" He took a deep breath before continuing. "A vampire is what I once was, but I have transcended even that. In becoming a God, I have obtained power beyond even your most absurd perceptions."
He slowly walked toward Dracula, who remained in place. "As I have evolved far beyond you. I will finish you off personally" Dracula seemed to be complacent, which DIO delighted in. "I, DIO, have seen the emergence and rise of vampires. And now I shall see them finally disappear forever!" DIO pulled back his fist as he prepared to erase Dracula from existence.
"Now die!" DIO shouted as he brought his fist forward. At that moment, blood launched into and blinded DIO in his eyes. Dracula secretly manipulated the blood which painted the ground around them, using it to render DIO incapable of seeing for a moment. The Word Over Heaven, with its eyes also closed, attempted to punch Dracula. However, it was punching nothing, as Dracula had shapeshifted into mist and avoided it altogether.
Using Reality Overwrite to remove all of the blood in this reality, DIO looked up to see Dracula once again airborne. DIO was moments from moving when he suddenly felt his hands shake uncontrollably. It became more erratic and concerning until DIO dropped to his knees. DIO's blood had been manipulated, it was now being corrupted by Dracula. "How the mighty God has fallen. Now he is but the grovelling insect. Yours is an existence I shall tolerate no longer" Dracula declared as he began forming magic in front of him.
"But, I, DIO, am a God...!" DIO's blood became incapable of allowing his hands to function, rendering him unable to use his reality-overwriting powers. But, the sheer thought he could not do anything, the fact he was helpless, was not something he could process. Dracula formed the Demonic Meggido and launched it at his cowering foe. The ensuing explosion devastated everything in sight, and just moments later, the reality-warping Dracula activated reverted. He was now back inside the walls of Castlevania.
After the fallout of Demonic Megiddo, Dracula observed the blast zone and found no trace of DIO. There were no remains to be found. Content, Dracula returned to his throne. Sitting down, Dracula weighed up the impact God has had throughout his life, wondering if his fallen adversary was in some way, a test to see if Mathias still dwelled within his soul.
K.O.!
Conclusion[]
(Cue Dracula Appears - Michiru Yamane)
Boomstick: I think we can safely say that Dracula has had enough of Gods being a thorn in his side.
Wiz: This fight was interesting. With comparable speeds and both having ways to recover from damage, finding the victor was ultimately going to come down to how they stacked up against each other across the board. Overall, Dracula had the majority of advantages. His centuries of experience have allowed him to amass a plethora of powers, battle many more foes compared to DIO, and have pretty much everything he needed to win this fight.
Boomstick: For starters, Drac had so many more powers that he could run circles around Heaven Ascension DIO. Yes, Reality Overwrite is overpowered, but sometimes sheer quantity gets you the win. That variety meant Dracula could control the entire fight. Using his shapeshifting to avoid attacks, his Chaos Magic to attack from long-range, and transform if being a miserable pile of secrets isn't enough.
Wiz: While Dracula cannot see or hurt The World Over Heaven, he has managed to interact with the souls of both his fallen enemies, and the literal abstract entity of death. Stands are, by definition, the physical manifestation of the user's fighting spirit. That's a bit more grounded and tangible compared to an entity like Death. Once DIO started using his Stand, Dracula would be able to notice and take action to combat both of his foes.
Boomstick: Drac is also far stronger. When comparing their best feats, Dracula's are far easier to lockdown. Dracula defeated Time Reaper and is superior to Galamoth. Since Time Reaper had the end goal of erasing the entire Castlevania timeline, that's pretty definitive. Dracula also draws his power from the Chaotic Realm, which has an entire universe within it. So that spells it out pretty clearly for good ol' Drac.
Wiz: DIO is a bit trickier. His most powerful feat was creating the Over Heaven Area, which is cosmic-level at the bare minimum. But even if we intentionally overestimated the feat to be universe-level, that doesn't surpass Dracula, and he'd still have all his advantages. It also doesn't help DIO that Dracula can also manipulate reality. The same problem DIO faced when Star Platinum Over Heaven could counter Reality Overwrite with its own.
Boomstick: Since Drac was far more experienced with his powers, DIO couldn't rush in as he did against Jotaro. Also, DIO had a far more exploitable weakness, his fists need to be intact for his Reality Overwrite to work. Given Dracula's centuries of experience, he'd probably figure it out and take advantage of that weakness so that he can go for a finishing move and annihilate DIO once and for all.
Wiz: Heaven Ascension DIO was insanely powerful and easily one of JoJo's strongest characters. But his impressive speeds and Reality Overwrite just weren't enough to overcome Dracula's superior experience, powers, regeneration, and less easily exploitable weakness.
Boomstick: Even with The World in DIO's hands, Dracula was able to Over-come Heaven!
Wiz: The winner is Dracula.
Original Track[]
An Original Track for this fight would be titled "Chaos Over Heaven"
The title is a reference to the combatants’ powers. Chaos, the entity and source of Dracula's powers, and the ultimate evolution of Dio's Stand "The World Over Heaven". The title also reflects the opposing motifs of the combatants.
Trivia[]
- The connections between Dracula and Heaven Ascension DIO are that they are iconic vampires that were once human (Mathias Cronqvist and Dio Brando). They initially worked alongside the protagonist (Leon Belmont and Jonathan Joestar). However, they disguised their true motives (Mathias desired vengeance on God for the loss of his wife and Dio wanted to take the Joestar fortune for himself). Although not their initial intention, they encountered a vampire, learning that vampires exist. They concocted a plan, involving the use of an important item, (Crimson Stone and Stone Mask) which would be empowered by deaths they orchestrated (Walter Bernhard and George Joestar) that transformed them into the immortal vampire lord they are most famously known as (Dracula and DIO). The two became a plague on their former friend's family line. Now immortal, they lived for multiple generations of their former friend's family line, becoming the ultimate enemy of their bloodline. Despite being defeated initially, their immortal life allowed them to return a century later. (Dracula is often slain by Belmonts and his soul is resurrected every 100 years and Dio Brando was defeated in 1888 by Jonathan and returned in 1988). At some point, they conceived a child with a human woman, resulting in a blonde son (Alucard and Giorno Giovanna) who would reject their father. Eventually, both would confront the latest descendant of their former friend's bloodline (Julius Belmont and Jotaro Kujo) in the late 20th century, who finally defeated them.
- Both first appeared in 1986 (in Castlevania (NES) and Phantom Blood, respectively).
- They have opposing religious motifs (Dracula became the avatar of Chaos, the opposite of God. DIO would become Heaven Ascension DIO, a godlike being who is revered as God in his timeline).
- Dracula and Dio Brando share English and Japanese voice actors, Patrick Seitz and Norio Wakamoto. Furthermore, Hikaru Midorikawa voices Dio Brando, and Dracula's reincarnation, Soma Cruz.