DIO's World, Part 2 (Chapter)

Ascend the Stairs! (DIO's World (2) in the JoJonium 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 Part III: 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.

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.