Diavolo stood aghast at Gold Experience Requiem, its form seeming to have fully merged with the arrow. It looked familiar, yet not familiar, as Giorno stood confidently next to it. Some rubble floated as the energy from that power surrounded them, and Gold Experience Requiem casually flicked a piece right at King Crimson, shooting it through its hand, damaging Diavolo. He then saw the pebble had turned into a scorpion the second it hit a nearby pillar.

That scorpion then launched itself back at Diavolo with unnatural leaping ability, its tail tearing a chunk out of his cheek meat. "All that will survive," Giorno said, "Is the reality of this world... Righteous actions born from that reality will never be annihilated. My team... My friends... It is because we fought and lived together that I was able to lay claim to this arrow, this power. So Diavolo, are your actions born of reality, or just superficial evil?" "So...," Mista said, "Are our souls gonna get switched again?"

"I doubt it," Polnareff said, "Much in the same way Stand powers are different from person to person, I've every reason to believe Requiem powers are the same. And unlike me, Giorno seems to have complete control over Gold Experience Requiem." "It is a little different," Rarity noted, "Before he could just create living things, now he can actually control the creatures he creates. And like before, that's probably only where it begins."

Diavolo was trying to calm himself down. 'Keep calm... This is just a strength power-up, that's all. I wasn't able to see the attack itself, but I could still forecast it. Still, his power has been increased significantly. I can only barely dodge his attacks. But I can overcome this! I am the emperor, the one chosen for the apex! I have overcome every crisis I've ever faced! I can overcome this!' "Don't lecture me you cocky little brat!," he called out, "I won't even allow you the time to lament your own death! King Crimson!"

Time around him froze and began to unravel. "I can see everything his Stand will do now," Diavolo said as he watched Gold Experience Requiem, "Everything his Stand does, I can predict it all!" He took some blood from his hand and splattered it across Giorno's eyes. "My power stands at the apex of reality!" He grinned as he saw himself killing Giorno. "I did it! I won! I was a moment faster! My forecast shows me punching right through his heart! It's all over!"

As he made to copy the move, however, he saw a few insects flying by and stopped. He noticed they were flying backwards. In fact, everything seemed to be moving backwards. His fists, the blood he splattered on Giorno's face, everything. Even the time that was being unraveled by King Crimson was returning to normal. "What is this!? Impossible! Is this the true power of Requiem!? But no! The forecast still chose me! I can still win this! Die, Giorno Giovanna!"

He then gasped. As he made to attack, he realized he was looking at multiple copies of himself, all acting as still frames of himself moving to make the attack. "What is this...? Only I should be able to move within the erased time..." "This is the power of Requiem," came a new voice, and in a moment Diavolo realized it was Gold Experience Requiem. It was also moving, and talking. "What you see is reality, your ability to foresee the actions we will take. However... It is not the apex you think it is. My master holds the true apex, the ability to undo those actions."

It turned to look at Diavolo. "With my new power, you will never reach the reality that will occur! None who stand before me shall ever do so!" He then pointed to another Diavolo, repeating the same line he had said just before activating his ability. "You're kidding...," Diavolo said in realization, "Have I not even moved an inch from where I started!? Even with the forecast that predicted my inevitable victory... Has it truly been for nothing!?" Gold Experience Requiem only responded with silence, as in the next instant the group saw him and Giorno attacking Diavolo fiercely.

"MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA MUDA!" The group smiled as they saw what had happened. "He did it!," Mista said, "He managed to attack before Diavolo could erase time again!" "No...," Buccellati said, "It's more accurate to say Giorno undid Diavolo's attempt to erase time." Giorno smirked. "So this is the power Gold Experience gained. Looks like this is end, Diavolo. Now, disappear forever!" "MUDA!" With a final attack, Diavolo was sent crashing into the nearby river.

The others went to see what happened, but Diavolo seemed to have disappeared from the river. "Should we try and find him?," Narancia asked. "No," Giorno said, "Even if we do see him again, it will only be for a fleeting moment. I'm not entirely sure what Gold Experience Requiem did, but I do know Diavolo is no longer in a position to try and kill us." Abbacchio breathed a sigh of relief. "So... What do you think will happen to him?" Rarity grinned. "If Buccellati was right about Giorno removing the time erase, I think a better question is... What won't happen to him?"

Diavolo finally managed to emerge near a sewer drain in the river. "I thought I drowned for a moment there...," he said with a few coughs. He climbed onto the drain. "Still alive... But what was that...? Even with my forecast showing certain victory, Giorno still attacked and knocked me over the railing..." He tried to lift himself up. "My body feels like lead... But I think I can still move." He managed to drag himself out of the water and slumped against the side of the sewer.

"Hey, you punk!," a nearby man called out, "You... You trying to creep up on my coat and steal it from me!" Diavolo looked confused until he saw a few drug needles nearby, as well as a few other men. Clearly these were drug junkies living in the sewers. Before he could calm the man down, he felt a pain in his chest, and saw the man holding a bloody scalpel. The man had slashed Diavolo before he could do anything. 'What... What just happened...? Why is this happening to me...?' His vision started to fade as he bled out.

He woke up with a start, but was still lying down. He felt cold steel beneath him and looked around. To his confusion, he was lying on a slab in a morgue somewhere, probably still in Roma. A female coroner was reading a file nearby. "Date is the twenty-fifth, 11:20 AM, file number sixty-eight, headed by myself, Doctor Monica Ulterro. Subject is an adult male, age estimated to be thirty to forty, identity unknown." Diavolo tried to reply, but realized his mouth wasn't moving to form words.

"Judging from his skin condition," Doctor Ulterro continued, "Subject died somewhere from 48 to 54 hours ago. Now performing legally-mandated necropsy." 'Necropsy?,' Diavolo thought, 'Does she think I'm a dead body?' He tried to move, but his body wouldn't respond. In fact, he realized all he'd been able to move since he woke up were his eyes. Doctor Ulterro got out her tools. "Report stated that the body was found near the mouth of the river. Body had only inhaled a little water, meaning drowning is not the likely cause of death."

To Diavolo's horror, the woman started cutting into him. "Subject seems to have suffered a severe laceration, extending to the liver, likely cause of death. No failed attempts, so suicide is not a likely possibility. Now opening contents of the stomach." Diavolo was horrified to see his own organs being placed on a tray one by one. He realized what was happening. His body was being autopsied while he was still alive and conscious. He gave out a sudden scream at the horror of it all.

This caused him to wake up again, this time in the darkened streets of somewhere. He didn't recognize the location. He breathed a sigh of relief. "It was all a dream... Just a horrible dream..." He looked around. "But from the looks of it I'm not in Roma anymore. And it's night." He placed a hand on his face and rubbed it. "But I remember falling into the Tiber River... And the pain back at the morgue... What's happening to me?" "Hey, are you all right?," asked a nearby man.

Diavolo looked at the man, and got startled by his yapping dog. He was so startled that he wound up tripping backwards into the street, just in time for a nearby car to slam into him. Time seemed to slow as a realization dawned on him. 'This... This is the true power of Gold Experience Requiem! I'm experiencing all my worst fears, the worst ways I could think of to die! It's all playing at once, dying over and over with no permanent end! Damn it! Giorno saw me as a fool of a king, and now he's made sure I understand it too!' This was the last thing he thought before the car struck him, only for him to vanish from the street, ready for another death.

"Gold Experience Requiem removed it," Giorno said, "Diavolo's ability to arrive at an end. Now he'll never arrive at the reality of death, for eternity." "That's probably the worst fate anyone can receive," Abbacchio said, "Never knowing where the next death will come from, unable to hide his identity from anyone since they'll just keep seeing him. You took his paranoia and increased it several fold." "He's no longer in a position to do anything," Buccellati said, "Not lead Passione, not kill Trish, not keep attacking us." He chuckled. "It's all over."

Mista started sniffing at himself. "What's wrong?," Trish asked. "It's just... After swapping bodies for a bit, I was wondering if I really smelled so bad. Maybe I should start using cologne..." "I dunno," Trish said as she got close, "I think it's pretty comforting... The way you smell." She then grinned. "But your fingers still look a little funny!" Mista couldn't help but laugh, and Trish along with him. Giorno picked up the arrowhead that had dropped to the ground, his Stand back to normal. He looked over to Polnareff and saw Silver Chariot was also restored.

"I doubt I'll have any reason to use this again," Giorno said, "But it's a gift from the past that should not be destroyed." He then spotted Coco Jumbo. "Perhaps it would be best to store it in a safe place," Polnareff suggested. Giorno nodded, and placed the arrow inside Mr President. "So," Narancia said, "What happens now?" The group looked at each other. "Now," Buccellati said, "We rebuild the future." They all looked toward the Coliseum, as if thanking it for all that had happened there.

Mista opened the window as several higher ranked members of the Passione accepted Giorno as leader. After finding Diavolo's apartment, Giorno was brought up to full speed on the inner workings of the gang. Their plan was to make people think Giorno was the boss all along, or least a replacement boss for a few years after the old one died, and he didn't want to reveal himself too early since he was so young. Instead a proxy was asked to act in his stead, and Trish was actually the proxy's daughter, not his own.

As for why Giorno suddenly decided to reveal himself, he would say it was because of the sudden surge of traitors within the group, and since Buccellati and his team were the only members he felt he could trust, they made a show of going rouge to root out these traitors, which wound up including the proxy who was getting too big for his britches. If there was anyone who doubted this story, they didn't say anything and just accepted it, since it was clear he had all the knowledge and intellect needed to run the gang. Giorno looked around, at the new empire that was now his. 'We finally made it. Now... We are Gang-Stars.'

It's a happy ending, but we're not done with Golden Wind just yet. But since the Sleeping Slaves arc is being left out, I had something else in mind instead.