The Stone Mask (Story Arc)
The Stone Mask (石仮面, Ishi Kamen) is the third story arc in Phantom Blood.
Summary
After leaving his father in the care of trustworthy physicians, Jonathan leaves for London to analyze Dio's poison in hopes there is an antidote to cure George Joestar I. The moment Jonathan left, Dio broke into adopted brother's study to steal the Stone Mask and decides to arrange an "accident" for Jonathan involving what he assumed was a form of torture device. But when Dio learned that Jonathan's search brought him to the treacherous rookery of Ogre Street, he assumed that violent muggers there will do his job for him.
While walking along the maze-like Ogre Street, Jonathan is set upon by a trio of muggers with their leader giving his friend Tattoo the honor to gut their victim. Determined by his cause, Jonathan risks injury by grabbing the blade of Tattoo's knife while taking him and the Chinese man out. Jonathan that faces their leader as he attacks with his razor-bladed bowler hat, only to realized that he justly deserved the beating he takes from facing such an opponent. Introducing himself as Robert E. O. Speedwagon, he tells the arriving mob to not harm Jonathan since he did not killed him or his friends. Jonathan explains that is he simply helping his father, and he figured Speedwagon must also have a family that cares for him. Amused by Jonathan's naivety and nobility, Speedwagon offers to take Jonathan to the apothecarist he is looking for.
Meanwhile, anxious if Jonathan had been killed or had foiled his plans, Dio is wandering the streets while hating himself for drinking like his father had. Dio eventually bumps into two vagrants who taunt him for being out so late at night, calling one of them a "gutter snipe" while deciding to test the mask out. Dio smashes his wine bottle at one of the vagrants, slicing his neck while using the man's blood to activate the mask he forced on the other vagrant. A bright light suddenly bursts forth from the Stone Mask as its prongs pierce the man's skull before the scene ends anticlimactically with the vagrant hitting the ground. Dio felt disappointed and walks off before turning to see the vagrant getting back up as the mask drops off to reveal a monstrous face. The inhuman monster overpowers Dio with his superhuman strength before grabbing Dio by the neck when he attempts to escape into the river. Feeling the life being drained out of him, Dio nearly died were it not for morning light reducing his attacker to ashes.
Dio arrives home only to find Jonathan waiting for him, learning he already found the antidote and gave it to George while intending to hand Dio over to the authorities. While Jonathan was caught off guard by Dio feigning remorse, Speedwagon arrives to warn his friend not to believe anything Dio says. Speedwagon then pulls from behind a curtain Dio's apothecarist Wang Chan, followed by a saddened George and a group of constables who are to take Dio in for attempted murder. When George leaves not wanting to see what happens next, he is troubled when Wang Chan mentioned to have Dio's fortune that he has the devil's luck this night.
As Jonathan proceeds to place the cuffs on him at his request, with nothing left to lose, Dio explains how his defeat was became of his humanity which he now renounces. As Jonathan expresses confusion, Dio reveals the knife and stone mask on his person as he attempts to kill Jonathan with the former. But George shields Jonathan from the stabbing, Dio using his adopted father's blood to activate the mask while laughing manically. But the constables open fire, sending Dio's assumed dead body crashing through the window.
Appearances
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Chapters
- 008. The Stone Mask (1)
- 009. The Stone Mask (2)
- 010. The Stone Mask (3)
- 011. The Stone Mask (4)
Volumes
- 01. Dio the Invader
- 02. The Thirst for Blood!
Anime Episodes
- 02. A Letter from the Past
- 03. Youth with Dio
