[center][b][h3][color=yellow]DIO[/color] & [color=92278f]Juri[/color]– Near Hotel California (Collab Post)[/h3][/b][/center]

Arms crossed and leaning back, DIO viewed Juri's onslaught against the Hippotatomus with a critical and observant eye, missing nothing, least of all the amaranth shine from her left eye.  Was it evidence of her powers' usage, or perhaps the source?  Either way, the eyes were valuable targets.  Though he hoped to consider her a comrade, the vampire did not restrain himself from imagining ways to inflict pain upon this woman.  Juri's mad storm of kicks truly did capture his interest.  Though the powers of Stand users were infinitely variable, complex, or powerful, few engaged in direct, ruthless combat with their opponents, instead relying on tricks, spells, and stipulations of their Stand powers to tip the odds in their favor.  An ally with a purely physical talent, and an excellent one by the looks of her, would be a great benefit.

DIO clapped his hands twice, congratulatory in a playfully mocking manner.  [color=yellow]"I like you."[/color]  From him, it was high praise.  However much he did like her, however, he -as a vampire, more evolved than the apes called humans- would not hesitate to establish his rightful dominance over her.  [color=yellow]"It is said that in the west humans use papers and machines as compatibility tests.  The true medium of the soul, however, is combat.  Before we begin our own test, know that I, DIO, am beyond you.  If you please me, I will awaken within you a great power, one that will stand beside you always as mine does beside me."[/color]  The World appeared beside him and planted its feet into the ground, causing foot-shaped imprints to appear in the sidewalk.  He meant this to frighten and intrigue her, to arouse within Juri every fighting instinct within her.  For DIO, nothing but her best would do.  [color=yellow]"Shall we dance?"[/color]

Juri could not help but be frightened and intrigued by the vampire. She also couldn't help but be aroused, both for battle and for the vampire himself. This was someone like her. Someone who saw the fun in death and destruction. Someone who played by his own rules. Even though this was supposedly a mere spar, something she never liked doing, he very well could kill her if he is unsatisfied. She already knew he was the better fighter from the moment he killed that ridiculous beast, but she had to try to kill him in battle. She wasn't going to give her life to someone who couldn't prove himself a far superior opponent. Juri knew that if she lost, she would either die or become his.

"Ora ora ora!" Juri launched herself forward beginning with her Fuharenjin, a flurry of kicks which produced a flurry of purplish ki projectiles all aimed straight at DIO. Before her, leaning idly back against nothing with arms crossed, DIO bared his teeth.  [color=yellow]"A strange battle cry.  But it's useless, useless, useless!"[/color]  In the space of a fleeting instant, he appeared in front of the purple fusillade, in precisely the same pose.  [color=yellow]"Come on, then!"[/color]  Juri replied by running at him and unleashing a barrage of mostly kicks and a few punches at DIO. These weren't powered up by the Feng Shui Engine, but still powerful all the same. Once she had attacked DIO long enough, her left eye flashed again and now her barrage of attacks were powered by the Feng Shui Engine. However, instead of being merely punches and kicks, Juri added in her Fuhajin attack, firing off purplish ki projectiles from her feet with each use. DIO, having lazily blocked whichever strikes were convenient for him and simply taken the rest, was taken unaware by the tenacity of Juri's empowered strikes.  His stillness broken, he was forced to retreat several steps, now avidly trying to intercept the heels, knees, and shins thrown by his opponent.  Blood began to seep from his nose, and still this madwoman attacked.  By the end of the barrage of attacks, Juri was breathing heavily. She put all her energy into her barrage of kicks, projectiles, and punches in hopes of killing the vampire in front of her.

Whereas Juri sucked deep for air, fatigued by her insane onslaught, DIO's breath came light and slow.  Though he felt acute pain, he felt no fear, for his last suspicion had been put to rest.  The ki of this martial artist, though a vital energy manifested from her life force, did not have the solar properties of hamon.  Chuckling, the vampire smoothed out his wild hair, and remarked, [color=yellow]"I'll give you a little credit."[/color]  The next instant, he disappeared.

From mere centimeters behind Juri came the voice of DIO, close enough for him to feel the heat of her body and for her to feel the chill of his.  [color=yellow]"URIIIIIIIIII!"[/color] he cried as he brought his own knee into the small of Juri's back.  Beneath his skin, his veins pumped with blood colder than the sting of midwinter, and on contact the ice spread through her, not freezing her but numbing her nerves and muscles--instant hypothermia.  Laughing, DIO grabbed her by the arm and pulled her over his shoulder, crunching her into the admittedly-brittle cracker sidewalk before raising his arms. [color=yellow]"Mu..."[/color] he began, clenching fingers into fists above his head,, [color=yellow]"DAmudamudamudamudamudamudamudamuda!"[/color] he roared as he let loose a maelstrom of punches, smashing Juri flat beneath it.  Crumbs flew every way as he buried her, the movement of his arms faster than the pistons of an engine.

Even though she felt only a bit of pain from anything but the freezing knee to her back because of the hypothermia, Juri knew her body was taking an utter decimation. She was certainly going to feel all of this later, should she survive. She had to risk it... Dangerous overclocking of the Feng Shui Engine in her left eye. Her left eye sparked purple with power, and licking her lips, she grabbed one of DIO's arms mid-punch with both hands. Grinning madly with pleasure, Juri pulled DIO's arm with [I]all[/I] the might of the Feng Shui Engine powering it. The vampire's eyes widened.  [color=yellow]"B...bakana!"[/color] With a loud break, Juri knew that she had torn off the arm she had grabbed and let it drop. Juri then kicked DIO in the chest with both legs to knock the vampire off of her, once more with the full might of the Feng Shui Engine.  He gave short bellow of pain and stumbled backward, barely managing to prevent an indignified flop.  

Soon Juri stood up, not knowing the extent of the damage to her body and the Feng Shui Engine, but still smirking at DIO. Her eye stopped sparking and shut down. Her body bloodied to all hell, Juri spoke to DIO. 

"I like you," Juri struggled to speak to the vampire as if each word hurt to say. "You are worthy to take me."

Juri then dropped to the ground unconscious. Her body, especially with the Feng Shui Engine shut off, could only stay up for so long.

The World stepped over her body, holding its master's arm in its hand.  DIO held the ruined stub out for his stand to reattach the arm, and in only a moment he was whole again.  The vampire flexed the appendage to get the essence flowing again, and knelt over Juri' body.  With his fingernail he made a small cut on her cheek below her left eye, into which he allowed two drops of his own blood to fall.  Not enough to turn her or even really heal her, it would nevertheless restore her consciousness and her ability to walk.  DIO stood back up to his full height, crossed his arms, and waited.

Juri moaned and her eyes fluttered open. Realizing from the pain that was still in her body she was still alive, Juri pushed herself up off of the ground and had a look of genuine surprise when she saw DIO with both his arms again. She knew her power was completely spent and that their fight had effectively ended.

"You really are something beyond me, aren't you?" This had been said without the seductive tone or smirk, but with the tone of someone acknowledging someone superior. However, soon enough, the seductive, sadistic smirk returned. "I should be glad I pleased you enough to remain alive."

[color=yellow]"Hmph.  You did well enough, for a human."[/color]  A new thought had been within DIO for a few moments now.  If Juri had been an enemy, he would not have hesitated to kill and drain her then and there.  If she'd been a mere potential ally, a flesh bud to keep her under his control without otherwise changing her would have sufficed.  Raising her with his own blood, however...why had he felt compelled to do it?  Perhaps it was the belief that nothing he did in this bizarre world ultimately mattered to him.  [color=yellow]"In fact, you may very well be the strongest woman in...The World."[/color]  A flash announced the appearance of DIO's stand.  Without any warning whatsoever it bore down on Juri, came within an inch of her face, and vanished.  DIO narrowed his eyes to see what would happen.

Juri flinched as a flash of light had summoned a strange being whose came within an inch of her face before disappearing, though this was less because she didn't expect to die, but more because she didn't expect DIO to summon help. Juri calmed down when it vanished from whence it came. Juri did smirk a bit at being called 'the strongest woman in the world.' That's what that accursed Interpol Agent always claimed about herself, so getting acknowledgement that she was the strongest instead of Chun-Li actually gave her a genuine smile.

"I thought you were the type who was beyond using tricks like summoning for help," Juri noted as she widened her left eyelid and popped out her artificial left eye to examine the damage to it with her natural right eye. Thankfully, nothing was fried, though the Feng Shui Engine will need time to reboot. She would have hated to have to use stuff from freakin' Candyland to fix it! Juri soon popped the Feng Shui Engine back into her left eye socket and blinked her eye a few times, before looking back at DIO. "Not that I have any reason to complain about tricks with this thing."

The wind had started to pick up again, and it sifted through DIO's hair, causing it to blow like bunches of golden wheat in a prairie breeze.  He watched Juri inspect her eye without a trace of revulsion, instead concluding that the Feng Shui Engine did indeed have something to do with her abilities.  No matter; he could hardly blame someone for wishing to go beyond the stiflingly narrow confines of humanity.  [color=yellow]"Help?  No.  What you saw was a projection of my own life energy, a powerful companion formed from my will.  It is called a Stand, and the fact that you can see it means that you have one, too.  Even after giving rise to over thirty Stands, I am always fascinated to see a new one.  They are the windows to the soul."[/color]  He looked past her at the horizon to witness the sun beginning to peek over it, only to be obscured by opaque clouds of cotton candy.  The sight made him laugh, for nothing could have been more convenient.  [color=yellow]"Today is a fateful day!"[/color]