The final eight teams were, to put it mildly, a colorful bunch.
Among them, the Team Gojo and the Team Shinso stood out as particularly unique.
The two squads shared a striking similarity: their ability to reach the quarterfinals hinged not on the collective strength of their roster but on the sheer power of a single individual.
The Team Gojo consisted of Gojo Satoru, Nanami Kento, Itadori Yuji, Fushiguro Megumi, and Kugisaki Nobara.
Aside from Gojo Satoru and Nanami Kento, the rest were students.
Their strength was, frankly, average at best.
They could handle minor cursed spirits and run-of-the-mill yokai, but against truly formidable demons, they often found themselves outmatched.
In the previous matches, these members had struggled mightily.
The only reason they'd made it this far was Gojo Satoru's overwhelming prowess.
On the other side, the Team Shinso, led by Evangeline A.K. McDowell, included Negi Springfield, Kagurazaka Asuna, Hakase Satomi (Chachamaru), and Ku Fei.
Apart from Evangeline, the others were also students.
Negi, the protagonist of Negima!, was a powerful mage in his own right and showed decent capability.
But in the chaotic frenzy of this Dark Tournament, he came across as somewhat underpowered.
While he had immense potential, he hadn't yet fully translated it into strength.
As for Kagurazaka Asuna, Chachamaru, and Ku Fei? Even less could be said.
They had some ability, but it was middling at best.
Kagurazaka Asuna, in particular, was an utter amateur, relying entirely on her unique constitution to fight.
In earlier rounds, without Evangeline's intervention, this team would've been eliminated long ago.
This time, whether by the organizers' subtle maneuvering or not, the Team Gojo and the Team Shinso were pitted against each other.
Only one could advance to the semifinals.
Morpheus found this matchup intriguing, so as soon as the match began, he was right there in the stands, ready to spectate.
The Team Gojo sent out Kugisaki Nobara first.
The Team Shinso countered with Kagurazaka Asuna.
As soon as Asuna took the stage, she pulled a card from her pocket. A flash of light followed, and a massive sword materialized in her hands.
Kagurazaka Asuna wasn't her true name. She was originally Asuna Vesperina Theotanasia Entheofushia, the Twilight Princess of the fallen kingdom of Old Ostia in the Magical World.
That kingdom was long gone.
But its royal bloodline carried a remarkable power—an ability to give birth to extraordinary children, tied to the same primal force that created this world. It was a divine power capable of nullifying all magic in existence.
Asuna was a bearer of complete magic nullification, wielding an anti-magic field that could potentially destroy the world.
After forming a provisional pact with Negi, she gained her signature weapon: the Ensis Exorcizans, or Demon-Breaking Sword.
In its dormant state or when her strength was insufficient, the sword took the form of a striking fan. When needed, it transformed into a full-fledged blade.
Most crucially, this sword's power was staggering—it could one-shot summoned creatures and shatter a mage's protective barriers with ease, embodying its demon-breaking essence.
For any magic user, this was a nightmare of a weapon.
That said, Morpheus was less interested in Asuna's Demon-Breaking Sword and far more captivated by the concept of Pactio magic.
This magic was outrageously versatile.
When a mage formed a contract with another person, the Pactio would generate an artifact tailored to the contractor's strength, personality, and disposition.
Each artifact had its own unique utility.
For instance, Asuna's provisional Pactio with Negi granted her the Demon-Breaking Sword.
Ku Fei's contract with Negi produced the Ruyi Jingu Bang, a staff-like weapon.
Chachamaru, a robot, received an orbital cannon of all things through her Pactio with Negi.
The sheer variety of these artifacts was staggering.
This made Morpheus quietly covet the Pactio magic, as he had yet to master such an eccentric and versatile spell.
While he mused over how he might pry this magic from Negi's grasp, the battle between the Team Gojo and the Team Shinso kicked off.
Kugisaki Nobara took the field and immediately unleashed her signature techniques, wielding a hammer, nails, straw dolls, and a rubber mallet to attack.
But against Asuna's demon-breaking power, these were practically useless.
This was precisely why Evangeline had chosen Asuna as the first to fight.
As long as Gojo Satoru himself didn't step in, Asuna's magic-nullifying abilities made her the ultimate counter to these students.
She was a walking slaughterhouse.
Kugisaki Nobara threw everything she had at her opponent, but Asuna merely flicked her sword.
Every attack was effortlessly dispelled.
Utterly ineffective.
Seeing this, Itadori Yuji couldn't help but turn his head. "Oi, oi, oi, what's going on here, Gojo-sensei?!"
Before Gojo could respond, Nanami Kento rubbed his temples and groaned, "The worst possible situation, obviously."
Fushiguro Megumi pressed, "What do you mean?"
Gojo explained, "It means that girl wields an extremely rare anti-magic power. No magic or cursed techniques work on her."
"With a single swing of that big sword, your attacks are wiped out like they're nothing but bubbles."
Fushiguro couldn't hold back his frustration. "How can something that broken exist in this world? How do you even fight that?"
Gojo rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "It's definitely a tough one. If Maki-chan were here, we might have a shot. But you guys…"
He trailed off, shaking his head.
Asuna's presence was a genuine headache for Gojo. This trump card was a bit too trump.
With a sigh, Gojo said, "Call Nobara back. She's no match for that girl."
Hearing this, Itadori Yuji cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed, "Hey, Nobara! Gojo-sensei says to come back! You can't beat that woman!"
Gojo facepalmed. Did this kid have to shout so loudly?
Now it wasn't just Nobara who heard—it was the entire arena.
Nobara, being someone who valued her pride, wasn't about to back down so easily.
No way in hell.
As expected, feeling underestimated, she exploded with fury. Turning to Itadori, she roared, "Shut up, you idiot! I'll take her down right now and show you!"
With that, Nobara went all out.
She was determined to prove herself.
***
Bonus Chapter:
100 Power Stones = 1 BC
300 Power Stones = 2 BC
500 Power Stones = 3 BC
700 Power Stones = 4 BC
1000 Power Stones = 5 BC
***
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