The Fatal Distance and The Bad News
"START!" Present Mic's voice roared through the stadium speakers, officially kicking off the third match of the Second Round.
Zoro already had his three swords drawn, his stance low and his muscles coiled, completely prepared for any incoming assault.
"Go, Dark Shadow!" Tokoyami commanded.
The shadowy beast shot forward with blinding speed, letting out a fierce growl as it extended its massive claws directly toward the swordsman.
CLANG!
The harsh screech of metal clashing against dark energy echoed across the arena, sending off invisible sparks and a sharp gust of wind. Zoro took a single step back, smoothly bringing up his left blade to parry a sudden strike from below. Even though he perfectly deflected the hit, the sheer kinetic force of the impact was enough to violently crack the concrete floor beneath his boots.
"Don't let him breathe! Continuous attacks!" Tokoyami shouted, beads of sweat already beginning to form on his forehead.
Dark Shadow roared, unleashing a relentless, high-speed barrage of direct strikes. Zoro didn't attack. He strictly played defense. His three swords moved in perfect, flowing harmony, parrying left and right as if he were dancing in the middle of a black storm. Despite the terrifying density and aggression of the shadow, Zoro's eyes were focused on only one thing: The distance.
It's dense and heavy up close... Zoro thought calmly as he blocked a massive punch from the shadow that nearly threw him off balance. He let his boots slide against the concrete, intentionally drifting several meters further away.
Dark Shadow responded instinctively, stretching its dark form to chase the retreating swordsman. And in that exact moment, Zoro noticed the shift. When the shadow extended to deliver its next blow, the impact against Zoro's swords lacked its previous crushing weight. The attack was a fraction of a second slower, and the dark mass itself felt visibly less cohesive.
A confident smirk tugged at the corner of Zoro's mouth. He had found the key.
Tokoyami instantly realized what was happening. "Pull back a little!" he yelled in warning. "Don't get too far away from me!"
He desperately tried to sprint forward to close the gap between him and his opponent, hoping to maintain his shadow's strength. But Zoro wasn't going to give him that luxury.
With an explosive burst of raw speed, Zoro dashed backward, retreating toward the very edge of the ring with footwork so fast the naked eye could barely track it.
"Damn it... he's too fast!" Tokoyami grunted, pushing his legs to their limits to catch up. But the distance had already widened significantly. Dark Shadow was now stretched to its absolute maximum limit, lunging across the stage in a desperate attempt to land a finishing blow.
"Now," Zoro whispered, his voice dangerously low.
Zoro abruptly stopped retreating. He shifted his footing, planting his boots firmly into the ground. He stopped defending.
"Three Sword Style... Demon Crow!" (Yasha Garasu!)
With a terrifying, high-speed counter-charge, Zoro tore straight through the extended shadow's defenses. Since he was striking the entity and not his classmate, he didn't hold back the sharp edges of his blades. His steel rained down on the elongated body of Dark Shadow without mercy.
The first blinding strike completely broke the shadow's balance. The second brutally shredded its physical cohesion. And the third made the beast let out an agonizing, ear-piercing scream.
With every single hit, Tokoyami felt his own stamina draining rapidly, as if the energy was being violently ripped from his veins. Dark Shadow shrank instantly, desperately trying to retreat, but the rhythm of Zoro's relentless strikes was far faster than its ability to escape. The rapid, devastating blows, combined with the extreme distance that had already weakened the entity, caused Dark Shadow to completely collapse.
Poof. With a burst of black smoke that dissipated into the air, Dark Shadow shrank at lightning speed, fleeing and hiding deep inside its host's body.
Tokoyami collapsed onto one knee, his chest heaving violently as he gasped for air. He looked around the ring in shock... his only weapon was completely gone. Gritting his teeth, he tried to summon Dark Shadow again, but his body was completely empty. There was no response.
Up in the commentator's booth, Present Mic jumped out of his seat, practically screaming into the microphone. "UNBELIEVABLE! RORONOA JUST TORE THROUGH THAT INVINCIBLE SHADOW LIKE IT WAS MADE OF PAPER! ERASER, WHAT EXACTLY JUST HAPPENED?!"
Aizawa leaned into the microphone, his tired eyes narrowed in analytical appreciation. "It's pure battle IQ. Tokoyami's Quirk is incredibly powerful close up, but its density and physical strength drop the further it stretches from its host. Roronoa figured that out within the first few seconds of crossing blades. He deliberately drew the fight out, forcing Tokoyami to stretch Dark Shadow to its absolute limit, which thinned its armor. Then, he countered with overwhelming physical force. Even a shadow entity will take damage and be forced to retreat if subjected to enough concentrated, devastating strikes."
Watching from the hero stands, All Might let out a hearty, booming laugh, thoroughly enjoying the spectacular performance. Splendid, Young Roronoa! You don't just rely on your overwhelming strength; your mind is as sharp as your blades. I am truly glad you are here.
In the Class 1-A seating area, Midoriya—who had just returned from Recovery Girl's office with several fingers on both of his hands wrapped in bandages—was awkwardly but furiously scribbling in his notebook, his eyes wide with awe. "He analyzed the tether limit... He realized the shadow gets weaker the further it goes, and he knew that continuous heavy blows would drain Tokoyami's stamina! Zoro-kun's battle instincts are terrifying!"
"He's incredibly smart!" Uraraka cheered, clapping her hands happily.
Iida adjusted his glasses, nodding in deep respect. "A magnificent display of tactical retreat followed by a flawless counter-attack!"
A few rows behind them, Bakugo sat in complete silence. His signature angry glare was locked directly onto the swordsman down in the ring. Small sparks popped aggressively in his clenched palms as his mind raced. That damn moss-head... He wasn't running away. He was just testing the bird's limits before going for the kill. He's not just a meathead with swords. If I face him, I can't let him dictate the pace.
Back down on the stage, a calm voice echoed right above Tokoyami's head. Tokoyami slowly raised his eyes.
Zoro was standing directly in front of him. The pristine white blade of the Wado Ichimonji was drawn, but Zoro had carefully flipped it. The blunt, unsharpened back edge of the sword rested coldly and steadily against Tokoyami's neck.
"You fought well..." Zoro said quietly, his eyes watching his opponent with unwavering steadiness. "...But you're wide open now."
Tokoyami realized that a single flinch meant his absolute loss. He closed his eyes and let out a deep, defeated sigh. "You outmaneuvered me... I surrender."
"TOKOYAMI SURRENDERS! ZORO ADVANCES TO THE SEMI-FINALS!" Midnight announced, cracking her whip as the stadium erupted into a standing ovation for the brilliant tactical display.
Zoro seamlessly sheathed his sword with a sharp click. His fierce combat demeanor vanished, replaced by a respectful nod as he extended his hand to Tokoyami, pulling the exhausted hero-in-training back to his feet.
The final match of the Second Round didn't last long, but it was a violent clash between absolute defense and raw explosive power. Bakugo and Kirishima stood face-to-face, sparks flying from Bakugo's palms while Kirishima hardened his entire body.
"START!" Present Mic yelled.
Kirishima charged forward, taking Bakugo's direct explosions head-on without taking a single step back. "Your attacks won't get through my defense, Bakugo!" Kirishima shouted, throwing a heavy punch.
But Bakugo wasn't just attacking blindly; he was analyzing. He noticed that Kirishima's hardening was slowly weakening under the continuous heat and pressure. With a ferocious roar, Bakugo unleashed a rapid, concentrated barrage of explosions directly on a single point.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Under the terrifying, relentless pressure, Kirishima's defenses shattered. Bakugo delivered one final, massive blast squarely to Kirishima's chest. Kirishima collapsed right in the middle of the ring. His body twitched slightly, but he was completely immobilized, staring blankly upward.
Midnight approached him. Seeing he was completely incapacitated, she raised her whip. "Kirishima is unable to move! Bakugo is the winner!"
The holographic board updated, displaying the matchups for the Semi-Finals:
Izuku Midoriya vs. Tenya Iida
Roronoa Zoro vs. Katsuki Bakugo
In the quiet corridors of the stadium, Iida was walking toward the waiting area. His expression was stern, his mind going over his strategy to face Midoriya's incredible power. He wanted to prove to everyone, especially his older brother Ingenium, that he was worthy of carrying their family name.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out. It was Mother.
Iida answered quickly. "Mother? I'm about to start my semi-final match, are you watching—"
His voice cut off when he heard a muffled sob and bitter crying from the other end. The blood froze in his veins. "Mother? What happened?"
"Tenya..." his mother's voice came through, trembling and broken. "Your brother... Tensei... He was attacked by the Hero Killer. He is in the hospital now... His condition is critical."
The phone slipped from Iida's hand, hitting the floor with a dull thud. The world around him completely faded away. He no longer heard the crowd's distant cheers. All he could see was the image of his great hero brother, lying helpless.
"Iida-kun? Are you okay?"
Midoriya was standing at the tunnel entrance, looking at his friend with deep concern after noticing his deathly pale face. Iida mechanically picked up his phone and shoved it into his pocket, completely avoiding Midoriya's gaze.
"I'm fine..." Iida said in a cold, hollow voice. "Let's go."
Iida walked toward the ring with heavy steps. His physical body was there, but his soul was in a hospital room miles away. Midoriya, with his bandaged fingers resting by his side, sensed that something had shattered inside his friend, but there was no time to ask.
They stepped onto the stage under the bright stadium lights. Midoriya stood with a determined gaze, while Iida stared into the void, his eyes clouded with a terrifying mix of sorrow and suppressed rage.
"AND NOW! THE FIRST MATCH OF THE SEMI-FINALS!" Present Mic screamed, whipping the crowd back into a frenzy. "FROM THE HERO COURSE, THE BOY WITH UNBREAKABLE DETERMINATION AND MYSTERIOUS POWER... IZUKU MIDORIYA! VERSUS HIS CLASSMATE WITH THE FASTEST ENGINES... TENYA IIDA!"
Iida got into his running stance, but his eyes weren't focused on the opponent in front of him. They were looking far past the stadium.
"START!"
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For Advanced Chapters:
Chapter 59 and 60 is Available now
Chapter 60 It is the promised chapter, a legendary chapter.
Ida is in danger. Alone in an unenviable position against the hero killer, Stain.
Midoriya is in Hoso City with Gran Torino. Zoro is wandering the city streets lost.
With the atmosphere so volatile, what will happen next? Find out.
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