Chapter 248

DIO's World (2), originally Ascend the Stairs! in the WSJ release, is the two hundred forty-eighth chapter of the JoJo's Bizarre Adventure manga. It is also the one hundred thirty-fifth chapter of Stardust Crusaders.

Summary
DIO and Polnareff are reunited and the former begins by mockingly congratulating him on surviving up to this point, while clapping in a sarcastic fashion.

He ignores Polnareff's insistence to claim his life and proposes an ultimatum; Polnareff may either back down the steps and return to serving DIO or proceed up the stairs to his certain death. Firm in his resolutions Polnareff boldly begins to step forward, only to look down at DIO's prompting and find that he hasn't moved at all. He tries several more times to advance and each time he appears to not have stepped up, but even down.

DIO continues by giving Polnareff insight into his beliefs concerning the desires of humans and their craving for peace of mind; suggesting it is the very reason they strive to life.

This coupled with DIO's taunts seeds doubt in Polnareff's mind that perhaps he had been stepping down and all this time had subconsciously resolved to serve DIO. Pushing these feelings aside he bounds forward, claiming he will not die until he at least sees DIO's Stand.

DIO relents and affirms Polnareff's impending death, revealing the physical appearance of his Stand The World for the first time with the intention of killing his opponent, but the arrival of the other crusaders halts this.