The semifinal block drew relentlessly closer, and the atmosphere in the stadium reached its absolute peak. Thousands of spectators in the stands and millions of people behind TV screens watched the tournament bracket, which now held only the very best.
Awaiting me in my semifinal match was Fumikage Tokoyami.
We stepped into the ring under deafening cheers. Tokoyami stood opposite me with a dead-serious expression. His Dark Shadow emerged from his chest, its form enlarged and its purple-black eyes glowing with a strange, wild energy.
"Mephisto," Tokoyami spoke, his voice deep. "We have known each other for only a short time, but my shadow has sensed your presence since day one. I feel the abyss stretching behind you. Yet, I have no intention of giving up without a fight. Show me your strength!"
"I appreciate your resolve, Tokoyami," I replied calmly, taking a hand out of my pocket. "Come."
"START!" Midnight snapped her whip.
"DARK SHADOW! FULL POWER!" Tokoyami roared.
Dark Shadow let out a dark howl and shot straight at me like shadow lightning. Its claws cut through the air with enough force to pierce an armored car. I utilized my speed and shifted my body to dodge the first sweep. I parried the second claw with my dagger, sending lightning bursting from the blade.
KRAAAASH!
Sparks of energy flew in every direction. Dark Shadow trembled under the pressure of my dagger.
"That's not enough!" Tokoyami shouted, pushing forward.
I looked at Dark Shadow up close. Instead of attacking physically, I lightly activated my aura.
"Shadow Domain."
In that exact second, a wave of energy and crushing, authoritative pressure swept across the entire ring. The aura I released was merely a cold breeze to ordinary humans, but to shadow entities like Dark Shadow, it was the presence of an absolute ruler.
Dark Shadow froze instantly. The entity of pure darkness, which had been fighting wildly until then, suddenly bowed to the ground. Its claws drooped, and a violent shudder ran through its entire shadow body. Instead of attacking, it began cowering back toward Tokoyami, whimpering.
"What... what are you doing, Dark Shadow?!" Tokoyami gasped in shock as he felt his own shadow guardian overcome by absolute fear and respect. "Is it... afraid of you?"
I didn't answer.
I took a single rapid step forward. Before Tokoyami could regain his composure, I was standing right beside him. Placing my hand lightly against his chest, I repelled him backward using a simple impulsive pressure of Ruler's Authority. Tokoyami flew several meters through the air, landing gracefully beyond the boundary line of the ring.
"Fumikage Tokoyami is out of bounds!" Midnight announced in awe. "The winner is... MEPHISTO DARKNESS!"
The stadium roared. Tokoyami rose from the ground, looked at me, slowly bowed his head in a gesture of acknowledgment, and recalled the terrified Dark Shadow. "I understand."
I turned around and left the ring. In the parallel semifinal, a brutal clash unfolded between Bakugo and Todoroki, who was drained from his fire usage, exactly as expected. Todoroki—who had not yet fully mastered coordinating both of his sides after his fight with Midoriya and was still internally struggling to accept his father's legacy—could not fully withstand Bakugo's wild pressure and continuous explosions. Bakugo eventually forced him out of the ring to advance to the finals.
The final match was set.
Mephisto Darkness versus Katsuki Bakugo.