The second stage was a team-based event.
The remaining students had to form groups and compete to steal points from one another, creating temporary alliances while protecting their own score. It was a test that rewarded strategy just as much as raw power, forcing the participants to think carefully about who to trust and who to avoid.
However, none of the four Yonkou paid much attention to the event itself.
They were still on security duty.
While thousands of spectators focused on the competition unfolding inside the arena, the four of them continued moving around the perimeter of the stadium, watching entrances, exits, rooftops, and blind spots.
Their job was not to enjoy the festival.
Their job was to make sure everyone else could.
Mewtwo floated above one section of the stadium while periodically extending his telepathic senses. Nejire continued her aerial patrols, occasionally descending to help security personnel when crowds became too dense. Tamaki quietly checked areas that most people ignored, while Mirio constantly repositioned himself around the structure, making sure he could respond immediately if something unexpected happened.
Fortunately, nothing serious occurred.
Not that the day was completely free of problems.
A couple of civilians had to be stopped and escorted away after attempting to enter restricted areas. One overly enthusiastic fan tried to sneak closer to the competitors, while another spectator caused a disturbance trying to get autographs.
Nothing dangerous.
Just the kind of issues that naturally appeared when tens of thousands of people gathered in the same place.
Still, the four of them treated every incident seriously.
After the attack on U.A., nobody wanted to take unnecessary risks.
Eventually, the second event reached its conclusion.
The final qualifying teams secured their positions, and the students advancing to the tournament bracket were officially announced.
By then, the Yonkou's patrol shift was nearly over.
Several pro heroes had arrived to relieve them, allowing the four students to finally enjoy part of the festival themselves.
At least the final event.
The one everyone waited for.
The tournament.
One-on-one battles.
As soon as they were officially dismissed from security duty, the four reunited near one of the stadium entrances.
"Finally," Mirio exclaimed while stretching his arms. "I was starting to think we wouldn't get to see any of the fights."
"You spent the entire day watching the stadium with binoculars," Nejire replied with a laugh.
"That's different."
"No, it really isn't."
Tamaki quietly sighed while the other two argued.
Meanwhile, Mewtwo simply smiled.
It felt good to relax for a moment.
The four of them entered the stadium together and climbed toward one of the upper viewing sections.
The atmosphere inside was electric.
Thousands of spectators filled the stands.
The cheers echoed throughout the enormous structure.
Every seat seemed occupied.
The excitement was contagious.
By the time they found their places and looked down toward the arena, the next match was already being announced.
Present Mic's amplified voice thundered across the stadium.
"KIRISHIMA EIJIRO VS IIDA TENYA!"
The crowd erupted immediately.
Below them, both competitors entered from opposite sides of the arena.
Kirishima walked forward with a determined expression, fists clenched and shoulders squared.
Across from him, Iida adjusted his glasses and adopted a disciplined stance, his face equally serious.
Neither of them looked nervous.
Neither looked intimidated.
Both understood exactly what this match represented.
A chance to prove themselves.
From the stands above, the four Yonkou watched silently.
When the battle started, the four of them immediately began analyzing the movements of the two participants below.
Neither Iida nor Kirishima rushed recklessly at the beginning.
Instead, they slowly circled each other, measuring distance, looking for openings, and trying to predict the other's first move.
The crowd remained silent for a brief moment.
Then smoke burst from the engines on Iida's calves.
In the very same instant, both competitors activated their Quirks.
Iida exploded forward.
His speed was impressive, especially compared to what he had shown only a few months earlier. He dashed around Kirishima in wide circles, constantly changing angles and forcing his opponent to turn and track him.
Meanwhile, Kirishima remained calm.
His skin hardened instantly, taking on the appearance of solid stone. Muscles bulged beneath the armor-like surface as he planted his feet firmly on the ground.
He wasn't trying to chase Iida.
He was waiting.
Watching.
Anticipating.
Iida suddenly accelerated.
The engines on his legs roared as he launched himself directly toward Kirishima.
His kick came like a missile.
The impact echoed across the stadium.
Yet—
Nothing happened.
The hardened skin of Kirishima absorbed the strike almost effortlessly.
The red-haired student didn't even move a step backward.
The crowd gasped.
Even Iida's eyes widened slightly.
That tiny moment of surprise was enough.
The instant the kick connected, Kirishima's hand shot forward and grabbed Iida's leg.
The audience immediately understood the danger.
Iida reacted quickly.
Using his free leg, he launched another kick aimed directly at Kirishima's face.
The blow landed.
Yet Kirishima didn't even blink.
There was no hesitation.
No sign of pain.
Only a confident grin spreading across his face.
"Got you."
Before Iida could free himself, Kirishima twisted his body and drove a powerful punch straight into his opponent's stomach.
The impact was brutal.
Air exploded outward from the force.
Iida's eyes widened.
Then his entire body was launched across the arena.
The engine user flew several meters through the air before crashing outside the ring.
Silence filled the stadium for a second.
Then the crowd erupted.
The match had ended almost instantly.
Above the arena, Raiden couldn't help smiling.
He recognized that strategy immediately.
The method was simple.
Take the hit.
Tank the damage.
Grab the attacker.
End the fight.
It was something Kirishima had learned the hard way.
Because Mewtwo himself had used similar tactics against him countless times during training.
More than once, he had broken straight through Kirishima's defenses and forced him to adapt.
Now those lessons were paying off.
The young hero had transformed one of his greatest weaknesses into a strength.
The match had lasted less than a minute.
"Nee, Rai," Nejire said with a playful smile. "You really gave the first years your habit of ending fights as quickly as possible."
Raiden shrugged.
"Yeah, maybe."
Then he crossed his arms and looked back toward the arena.
"It's the optimal approach. End the fight quickly, reveal as little information as possible, and avoid unpleasant surprises."
Tamaki nodded slightly.
Mirio laughed.
"That sounds exactly like something you would say."
Below them, Recovery Girl was already checking on Iida while the announcers excitedly discussed the match.
The crowd continued cheering as Kirishima left the arena victorious.
However, there was little time to celebrate.
The tournament bracket moved forward rapidly.
Within moments, the next competitors were called.
The atmosphere inside the stadium shifted immediately.
This match attracted even more attention than the previous one.
Present Mic's voice thundered through the arena.
"NEXT MATCH! IZUKU MIDORIYA VERSUS TOKOYAMI FUMIKAGE!"
At those words, the four Yonkou focused their attention back on the battlefield.
Because this one promised to be interesting.
"Eh, the bonebreaker," muttered Raiden.
Mirio immediately looked at him.
"That's a little harsh."
Nejire looked equally amused.
"Very harsh."
Tamaki simply sighed.
Yet none of them could really argue against it.
Raiden wasn't exactly wrong.
At least when they first met Midoriya, the boy had an almost supernatural tendency to break his own arms every time he tried to use his power seriously.
Fortunately, things seemed different now.
As the battle began, Midoriya didn't immediately destroy his limbs.
Instead, red lines appeared across parts of his body while faint green lightning crackled around him.
The energy flowed through his frame rather than exploding out from a single point.
The improvement was obvious.
"Raiden," Mirio asked while observing the arena, "his body is still struggling with the power, isn't it?"
Raiden narrowed his eyes slightly.
His psychic senses allowed him to perceive the flow of energy far better than most people.
"Yeah," he replied after a moment. "If I'm sensing it correctly, he's using around one or two percent of the total. His body isn't breaking anymore, but he's still forcing himself to adapt."
Mirio nodded.
"So he's in the middle of the process."
"Exactly."
Below them, the match had already begun in earnest.
Midoriya rushed forward first.
Unlike many of the previous competitors, he didn't hesitate.
He immediately closed the distance between himself and Tokoyami, clearly understanding that allowing Dark Shadow to control the battlefield would be dangerous.
Tokoyami reacted instantly.
Dark Shadow emerged from behind him and intercepted Midoriya's incoming kick.
The black entity blocked the attack and immediately counterattacked.
However, Midoriya had expected resistance.
The moment his kick was stopped, he twisted his body and changed direction.
Instead of continuing the exchange, he attempted to slip around Dark Shadow and attack Tokoyami directly.
A smart decision.
Unfortunately for him, Dark Shadow was incredibly versatile.
The living shadow moved with surprising speed.
Its massive arm swept across the arena and forced Midoriya to abandon his offensive.
The green-haired boy was pushed onto the defensive.
For several seconds, Dark Shadow completely controlled the pace of the fight.
It attacked from multiple angles.
Above.
Below.
The sides.
Every opening Midoriya tried to exploit was immediately covered by Tokoyami's Quirk.
"Mm," muttered Tamaki while studying the battle. "Dark Shadow is too strong for him right now. Not just strong... versatile."
The others nodded.
That was exactly the problem.
Midoriya had power.
Dark Shadow had options.
And in a fight, options could be just as dangerous as raw strength.
The battle continued.
Midoriya managed to evade several attacks, but eventually Dark Shadow caught him.
A heavy punch slammed directly into his stomach.
The impact lifted him off the ground and sent him flying backward across the arena.
The crowd gasped.
For a brief moment it looked like the fight was over.
Midoriya's body slid rapidly toward the edge of the ring.
One more meter and he would be out.
Yet at the last second, he dug his feet into the arena floor.
Cracks spread beneath him.
Chunks of concrete shattered apart.
The friction slowed his momentum just enough.
He stopped only centimeters from the boundary.
The audience erupted into cheers.
"He adapted quickly," Nejire commented.
"Yeah," Raiden replied. "The kid is stubborn."
Midoriya immediately moved again.
Instead of retreating, he punched the ground.
The floor exploded apart.
Chunks of concrete and debris shot toward Tokoyami like projectiles.
The attack itself wasn't particularly dangerous.
But that wasn't the point.
It was a distraction.
Dark Shadow instinctively moved to intercept the debris.
For a fraction of a second, Tokoyami's attention shifted.
And that was all Midoriya needed.
The green-haired boy lowered his stance.
His muscles tensed.
Lightning surged across his body.
He gritted his teeth and pushed through the strain.
"Full Cowling... 2%."
The energy around him intensified.
The next instant he disappeared.
Not truly invisible.
Just fast.
Much faster than before.
Tokoyami's eyes widened.
Before Dark Shadow could fully reposition itself, Midoriya had already crossed the distance.
He appeared beside Tokoyami and drove a powerful strike into his side.
The impact lifted Tokoyami off his feet.
The force carried him completely out of the arena.
He landed on the grass outside the combat area and rolled several times before finally coming to a stop.
Silence filled the stadium for a brief second.
Then Present Mic's voice exploded through the speakers.
"OUT OF BOUNDS! IZUKU MIDORIYA WINS!"
The crowd erupted.
Above the arena, the four Yonkou watched as Midoriya helped Tokoyami back to his feet.
The fight had been close.
Very close.