Fire and Ice, Joanthan and Dio
Inspired by Dire's last affront, Jonathan decides to use Luck & Pluck to inflict Ripple on Dio without being frozen. Straizo defeats four zombies attacking the group. Jonathan confronts Dio on the balcony while Speedwagon and the Ripple users fend off the zombie horde. The Vampire attacks first, leaping toward Jonathan, but the Ripple user sends several roses to distract his opponent. It allows Jonathan to cuts Dio's right arm and vertically cut Dio in half. However, the Vampire immediately freezes the sword and consequently Jonathan's arms, taking the advantage back. Dio then plays with his prey and notices too late that Jonathan has plunged the tip of Luck & Pluck into the fire of one of the balcony's decorative pyres.
Jonathan breaks free from the ice but Dio shatters the sword. Reduced to fighting with his bare hands, Jonathan is at a disadvantage. Ecstatic, the Vampire leaps another time toward Jonathan to finish him off. Suddenly, Jonathan puts his two hands into a fire and punches Dio back. Covered in flames, Jonathan's fists are protected from Dio's freezing technique, and the Ripple warrior strikes Dio's chest with the Ripple. Dio futilely tries to kill Jonathan by shooting two aqueous humor streams from his eyes. The vampire is sent falling down the cliff under the balcony, and everyone present proclaims Jonathan's victory, who faints from exhaustion. With Dio apparently dead and his zombies exterminated, the group subsequently destroys the Stone Mask. But in truth, Dio has managed to separate his head from his neck before the Ripple reached his vital spots, and Wang Chan quickly spirited him away.
Two months later, Jonathan has married Erina and the two plan to travel to America via ship for their honeymoon. Running late, Speedwagon arrives in time to see Jonathan and Erina off along with the Ripple users, Poco, and his sister. Meanwhile, a coffin is smuggled inside the ship. In the middle of the ocean, Jonathan suddenly spots Wang Chan and follows after him. In the ship's engine room, Jonathan sees the zombie open the coffin and take Dio's head out of it.
Dio explains that he's had a realization that their fates are deeply intertwined, revealing his intentions to take Jonathan's body for his own. He then shoots two streams of aqueous humor again into Jonathan, piercing his throat.
As Erina arrives in the engine room just in time for Dio to reveal the zombie infestation inside the ship, a passenger nearby dies to protect her baby. Unable to breathe, zombies surrounding him and Erina, Jonathan is in a desperate situation. Dio orders Wang Chan to kill Jonathan prudently, but the zombie forgoes any precaution as he jumps for the kill. Jonathan manages to produce one last Ripple motivated by his will to protect Erina, and with that one attack, forces the zombie to go to the engine and block the ship's screw shafts. As Dio realizes Jonathan's intention of blowing up the ship, Erina holds her agonizing husband in her arms.
Erina declares that she wants to die by Jonathan's side, but he convinces her to escape with the orphaned infant. Determined to survive, Dio orders the zombies to stop Wang Chan, to no avail. The engine explodes, causing a fire inside the ship. Dio sprouts tentacles from his neck and tries to take over Jonathan's body then hide in his explosion-proof coffin, but the man uses a piece of shrapnel to stab Dio's neck. He holds onto Dio's head while Erina and the baby are pushed inside the coffin. Jonathan then wishes Erina happiness. As the ship burns, Dio begs Jonathan to let him live but realizes with shock that his archenemy has expired. The ship explodes and sinks at the bottom of the sea.
The only survivors are Erina, the baby she holds in her arms, and the unborn child inside her. It is narrated that Jonathan's story will remain unknown of everybody save his lineage. Erina is rescued two days later. This is the conclusion of Phantom Blood.
Rating: 9/10
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