After their training session, the four of them ended up getting scolded.
Not because they had trained.
That part was expected.
The problem was that they had almost demolished an entire building during the process.
The damage inside the stadium had been absurd. Entire sections of the reinforced floor had cracked apart, several support structures ended up damaged, and even some of the outer walls had partially collapsed from the shockwaves generated during their clash.
Principal Nezu himself personally addressed the issue.
According to him, if the four of them intended to continue training at that level, then U.A. would need to prepare a special facility where they could truly go all out without risking the destruction of school property every single time they sparred.
In other words, from that point onward, they would need an arena specifically built to withstand monsters like them.
The four accepted the lecture without complaining too much.
After all, they themselves had seen the state of the stadium once the battle ended.
Even Raiden had to admit the situation looked slightly excessive.
On the other side, their battle had also been carefully analyzed by All Might.
The former number one hero did not openly comment much in front of the students, but internally, he was genuinely impressed.
Very impressed.
The speed.
The power.
The coordination and adaptation they displayed while fighting each other.
Even more terrifying was the fact that none of them had truly been fighting with killing intent.
They were still holding back to some extent.
And yet, the amount of destruction they generated already surpassed what many pro heroes could achieve in real combat.
After that, time continued to pass normally for a while.
Patrols.
Agency work.
Mentorship sessions.
Classes.
Training.
Their routine became increasingly intense as the weeks went by.
Then suddenly, Principal Nezu gave the Yonkous an unexpected notice.
For one day, they would be temporarily free from mentoring the first-year students.
The reason was simple.
During that specific time slot, the first years would participate in a large-scale rescue and disaster simulation exercise inside the U.S.J.
Meanwhile, the four third years had been assigned somewhere else entirely.
A newly prepared training facility located in another building close to the U.S.J. itself.
As Principal Nezu explained, if they truly wanted to continue growing stronger, then they would require greater challenges and more specialized guidance.
Their current training method absolutely worked.
That much had already been proven.
Their combat ability was evolving at an absurd pace thanks to the constant pressure they placed on each other.
However, the method still possessed one major flaw.
None of them had someone capable of properly guiding them.
They were improving mostly through instinct, battle experience, and raw adaptation.
That was effective, yes.
But it was far from optimal.
So Nezu decided to intervene personally.
He arranged for a very special instructor to oversee their sessions.
Inside the newly conditioned stadium built specifically for them, All Might himself would supervise their combat and provide guidance through the microphone system connected to the arena.
The idea was simple.
While the four fought each other normally, All Might would analyze every movement, every mistake, every opening, and every inefficient use of their Quirks in real time.
At the exact same moment the first years began their U.S.J. simulation, the four third years did the same in their own stadium.
The instant the signal was given, they rushed toward each other once more.
Explosions of force erupted across the arena as attacks and counters collided continuously.
Meanwhile, inside the observation room, All Might watched the battle through multiple cameras.
Currently trapped in his weakened form, he looked almost skeletal compared to his heroic appearance, yet his eyes remained sharp and completely focused on the fight unfolding before him.
As the battle continued, his voice echoed through the stadium speakers, constantly giving instructions and corrections to the students.
Most of his advice focused on timing, defensive positioning, efficiency, and control.
Small details.
Tiny mistakes.
Things the four of them normally overlooked in the middle of combat due to relying too much on instinct and overwhelming power.
And yet, those small corrections made an enormous difference.
Little by little, the four started adapting immediately to his instructions, becoming cleaner, faster, and significantly more efficient in their movements.
The experience of the former number one hero was no joke after all.
Inside the observation room, as All Might continued watching the battle, he could not help but feel increasingly astonished.
"These kids…" he muttered quietly to himself.
"Their growth is incredible… They will surely surpass us someday."
For a moment, a small smile appeared on his tired face.
However, that smile slowly faded soon after.
Because alongside the pride, another feeling also emerged inside him.
Worry.
"Still… that itself is frightening," All Might thought while staring at the monitors.
"For every great hero that rises… an equally terrible villain always seems to appear."
"It's almost like a curse."
And almost as if the world itself had heard All Might's reflection, the four Yonkous suddenly spun around at the exact same moment, instinctively abandoning their clash and sticking their backs together in the center of the arena.
The synchronization between them was almost unnatural.
No words were exchanged.
No warning was given.
And yet all four reacted instantly, as if they had sensed the danger before it even appeared.
At the same time, Mewtwo's eyes glowed brightly.
Psychic energy spread outward and Life Dew washed over the four of them, healing their fatigue and refreshing their bodies almost immediately. Right after that, he used Calm Mind and Agility on himself, his aura intensifying as psychic energy flared around his body like translucent flames.
Then, in the very next instant, black vortices started opening across the arena.
One.
Three.
Five.
Ten.
From inside those distortions, multiple creatures emerged.
All of them were monochromatic, their bodies covered in dark tones of black, crimson, and deep blue. Their forms looked distorted and unnatural, and every single one of them had parts of their brains exposed outside the skull.
The same type of creatures Mewtwo had fought during the incident at the entrance of U.A.
Nomus.
Inside the command center, All Might noticed everything immediately through the cameras.
However, more than the appearance of the enemies themselves, what truly shocked him was the reaction speed of the students.
They had reacted before the villains even fully appeared.
Their instincts had reached a monstrous level.
All Might was already preparing to move and assist them personally when Mewtwo suddenly spoke through the communication system.
"All Might, please, let's take this as part of the class… at least for us. We won't fall that easily. Better contact the rest of the school. We don't know if the school needs help or if we are the only ones being attacked."
And in a way, he was completely right.
Still, it felt strange.
One of the first times in years someone had told All Might not to intervene immediately.
For a second he was about to ignore the suggestion entirely, however Nejire suddenly spoke as well, her tone unusually serious despite the smile on her face.
"This is going to be good for us, teacher. Besides…" she said while energy spiraled around her arms, "you can save us at any moment if things go wrong, right?"
Those words finally convinced him.
Immediately, All Might used the intercom system to contact the rest of the school.
Principal Nezu answered almost instantly.
"The rest of the school is fine," the director responded calmly.
However, only a second later, his tone suddenly changed.
"Wait a minute… I can't establish communication with the first years inside the U.S.J. building."
Those words made All Might understand the situation immediately.
The trap had never been for him and the strongest students of U.A.
The true target… was the new generation.
"Kids, this is a trap," All Might said with a serious expression. "I believe the first-year students are in danger. I can't wait any longer."
The moment he finished speaking, he transformed into his muscular form in a violent burst of steam and power.
Without hesitation, he smashed through the communication room wall and leapt directly into the arena where Mewtwo, Mirio, Nejire, and Tamaki were already facing the Nomus.
"If that's the case, teacher…" Mirio said with a bright smile despite the tension, "then I believe you should go help them."
"Teacher," Tamaki added, surprisingly firm for someone usually so timid, "you are underestimating us too much… especially when the four of us are together."
At that exact moment, Tamaki's arms transformed into giant armored tentacles covered in scales and reinforced muscle.
The output of energy around Nejire and Mewtwo increased drastically as both prepared for battle.
And then, suddenly, Mirio started floating in midair.
All Might immediately realized Mewtwo was using telekinesis on him.
However, even he did not expect what happened next.
Mirio was launched forward like a living missile straight toward one of the Nomus.
The creature roared and threw a massive punch toward him, but the attack phased harmlessly through Mirio's body thanks to Permeation.
Yet the attack did not stop there.
From directly through Mirio chest, Mewtwo glowing leg suddenly emerged, shining white from the sheer force behind the strike, before smashing directly into the creature's head.
The impact launched the monster violently upward toward the ceiling of the arena.
But Mirio still did not stop.
While the Nomu flew upward, Mirio grabbed its leg mid-flight and allowed himself to be carried alongside it.
Then, using Permeation once more, he ignored the collision with the ceiling entirely, repositioned himself in midair, and delivered another brutal punch directly into the creature's skull, sending it crashing back toward the ground at insane speed.
However, before the Nomu could even touch the floor again, Tamaki attacked.
One of his giant tentacles twisted and transformed into something resembling a massive hammer before striking the creature from the side with devastating force.
The blow redirected the Nomu straight toward Nejire.
By that point, Nejire already had an attack fully charged.
Spiraling energy condensed around both of her hands before exploding forward in a gigantic wave that slammed directly into the monster.
The Nomu crashed against the side wall of the building hard enough to deform the reinforced structure itself.
When the dust settled, the creature's body looked twisted and broken beyond recognition, completely incapable of continuing the fight.
And that had happened in less than ten seconds.
"Teacher!" all four of them exclaimed at the same time.
"We are strong," they said together once again.
"Don't underestimate us too much."
All Might looked at their faces carefully.
Every single one of them wore an incredibly focused expression.