The matches continued one after another.
The next battle that truly caught the attention of the four Yonkou was Todoroki versus Uraraka.
Unlike some of the previous fights, this one generated a considerable amount of anticipation among the spectators. After all, Todoroki had already established himself as one of the strongest students in the first year, while Uraraka had steadily gained recognition for her creativity and determination.
As the battle began, Uraraka immediately demonstrated that she had learned a lot since entering U.A.
She didn't rush forward recklessly.
Instead, she moved carefully, looking for opportunities while attempting to force Todoroki into making mistakes.
Unfortunately for her, Todoroki was simply a difficult opponent for almost anyone.
The moment he decided to attack seriously, massive waves of ice spread across the arena.
The battlefield itself became his weapon.
From above, the four Yonkou watched attentively.
"She's improved," Nejire commented.
"She has," agreed Tamaki.
Raiden nodded as he observed the fight unfold.
As one of the people who had personally trained Uraraka, he could clearly see the progress she had made.
Her movements were cleaner.
Her timing was better.
Her confidence had grown considerably.
Even so, he had never expected her to win this particular match.
Not against Todoroki.
Not yet.
The problem wasn't her effort.
The problem was experience.
Her combat abilities were still developing, and her Quirk had not yet reached the level of versatility Raiden knew it could eventually achieve.
The potential was there.
A tremendous amount of potential.
But potential and current strength were two different things.
Eventually, Todoroki secured the victory.
It wasn't an easy fight, but the outcome was never truly in doubt.
As Todoroki left the arena, the attention of the four Yonkou lingered on him.
His Quirk was impressive.
More than impressive.
The scale of his ice alone made him stand out from most students.
"He'll become a monster if he keeps growing," Mirio commented.
Raiden didn't disagree.
"He already is, compared to most first-years."
The tournament continued.
The next notable match was Bakugo versus Aoyama.
Unlike the previous battle, this one ended quickly.
Very quickly.
Aoyama attempted to keep his distance and use his laser strategically, but Bakugo never allowed him to establish control of the fight.
The explosive student immediately closed the gap.
One attack.
Then another.
Then another.
Relentless pressure.
Before long, the match was over.
Bakugo advanced.
The crowd cheered loudly.
The tournament moved forward.
Match after match.
Victory after victory.
Defeat after defeat.
The number of participants steadily decreased until only four students remained.
The semifinalists.
Izuku Midoriya.
Katsuki Bakugo.
Eijiro Kirishima.
Shoto Todoroki.
All four came from Class 1-A.
Seeing the final lineup, Raiden couldn't help smiling.
Not because of the results themselves.
But because he had just won a bet.
"Aha."
The others immediately looked at him.
That smile never meant anything good.
"What?" Nejire asked suspiciously.
Raiden pointed toward the arena.
"My students did better."
Mirio immediately groaned.
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Tamaki already knew where this conversation was going.
The bet had been simple.
Whichever Yonkou had the disciple who reached the furthest point in the tournament would earn a free meal from the others.
And now the results were clear.
Raiden had won.
His students had made it further overall.
Which meant the losers had to pay.
Nejire sighed dramatically.
Tamaki looked defeated.
Mirio covered his face.
"Fine," Mirio admitted. "You won."
Raiden's smile widened.
"I know."
"You've been waiting all day to say that, haven't you?"
"Absolutely."
A few moments later, after a brief discussion and several complaints from the losers, a decision was reached.
Pizza.
Lots of pizza.
And because Mirio had been the loudest during the argument, he was unanimously selected to go buy it.
Naturally, it would be paid for by him, Tamaki, and Nejire.
"This is injustice," Mirio complained while standing up.
"This is consequences," Raiden corrected.
Nejire laughed.
Tamaki simply accepted his fate.
And while Mirio reluctantly headed off to buy the promised food, the remaining three turned their attention back toward the arena.
Because the semifinals were about to begin.
And unlike the earlier rounds, every student remaining had a genuine chance of winning the Sports Festival.
The next battle was announced just as Mirio returned carrying several pizza boxes.
"Perfect timing," Raiden commented as Mirio sat down.
"I hate all of you," Mirio replied while handing out slices.
Nobody felt particularly guilty.
Their attention quickly shifted back toward the arena.
The announcer's voice echoed through the stadium.
"NEXT MATCH! IZUKU MIDORIYA VERSUS EIJIRO KIRISHIMA!"
The crowd erupted immediately.
Both students entered the arena from opposite sides.
Neither of them smiled.
Neither waved to the audience.
Both wore serious expressions.
After watching the previous matches, they fully understood how dangerous the opponent standing before them was.
There would be no holding back.
There would be no easy victory.
The moment they reached their positions, both activated their Quirks.
The atmosphere instantly became tense.
Even the spectators seemed to quiet down.
Everyone knew this fight was going to be brutal.
The signal was given.
Midoriya moved first.
A burst of green lightning flashed around his body as he rushed forward.
His speed surprised many in the audience.
Without hesitation, he launched himself into a powerful kick.
"SMASH!"
The impact collided directly against Kirishima's raised forearm.
A loud crack echoed throughout the arena.
The force chipped part of Kirishima's hardened armor and pushed him several steps backward.
Dust rose around his feet.
The audience gasped.
However, Kirishima didn't stay still.
Not even for a second.
The moment he regained his balance, he counterattacked.
His fist shot forward like a cannonball.
Midoriya barely managed to block using his own forearm.
The impact still launched him backward across the arena.
He slid several meters before regaining control.
The green-haired boy immediately shook his arm.
Pain shot through it.
"Damn..."
Both fighters now carried visible injuries after only a single exchange.
Watching from above, Raiden raised an eyebrow.
"They're actually pretty even."
Nejire nodded.
"More than I expected."
Kirishima looked down at the chipped section of his arm.
Then he smiled.
Not because he was confident.
Because he was excited.
"Looks like I'll have to get serious," Kirishima declared.
The crowd cheered.
He brought both arms forward.
His muscles tensed.
The hardened armor covering his body shifted again.
The already durable skin became even denser.
"Second Stage: Dragon Claws!"
Immediately, the structure of his arms changed.
His forearms thickened.
The hardened material expanded around his fingers, forming sharp claw-like protrusions capable of tearing through steel.
The audience erupted.
Even some pro heroes leaned forward.
That was clearly not the same Hardening Quirk they had seen at the start of the year.
Without wasting time, Kirishima charged.
This time his approach was much more aggressive.
One slash.
Then another.
Then a punch.
Then another slash.
His attacks came continuously.
Midoriya blocked what he could.
Dodged what he couldn't.
But little by little he began losing ground.
Every clash pushed him farther back.
Every blocked strike left new cuts on his arms.
The Dragon Claws weren't merely harder.
They were sharper.
Midoriya's sleeves began tearing apart.
Thin lines of blood appeared along his forearms.
The pressure kept increasing.
The crowd could see it.
Everyone could.
Kirishima was forcing Midoriya backward step by step.
Eventually the green-haired boy found himself near the edge of the arena.
The situation was becoming dangerous.
Above the stadium, Mirio swallowed a piece of pizza.
"Not looking good."
Raiden nodded.
"Kirishima's momentum is winning right now."
Below, Midoriya gritted his teeth.
He blocked another strike.
Then another.
Pain spread through his arms.
His muscles screamed.
Yet he refused to give ground.
As another clawed strike approached, Midoriya muttered under his breath.
"Full Cowling... 3%."
Green lightning intensified around his body.
Immediately his movements became faster.
His blocks became cleaner.
His reactions sharper.
For the first time since Kirishima transformed, the pressure slowed.
The red-haired student noticed it instantly.
A grin appeared on his face.
"That's more like it!"
The two exchanged another flurry of blows.
Shockwaves began spreading across the arena.
Small gusts of wind formed around every collision.
The audience could actually hear the impacts from the upper seats.
Midoriya continued pushing harder.
The strain on his body increased.
His wounds widened.
Blood dripped from his arms.
Still, he kept moving.
Still, he kept advancing.
Then he made a decision.
A dangerous one.
"Full Cowling... 5%!"
The lightning around him exploded outward.
The sudden increase in power caught everyone by surprise.
Midoriya's muscles trembled.
Blood flowed faster from the cuts in his arms.
The burden on his body became obvious.
But the results were immediate.
The next punch he threw forced Kirishima backward.
Then another.
And another.
For the first time since activating Dragon Claws, Kirishima was the one losing ground.
The arena trembled beneath them.
Small cracks spread across the floor.
The crowd had completely abandoned any attempt to remain seated.
Everyone was standing.
Everyone was watching.
Because the battle had stopped being a simple semifinal.
It had become a contest of determination.
A clash between two students refusing to back down.
Kirishima immediately adapted.
Seeing that Midoriya's speed had increased, he stopped relying solely on his arms and began incorporating kicks into his attacks as well.
The pace of the battle accelerated once more.
Punches.
Kicks.
Blocks.
Counters.
Neither of them gave the other a moment to breathe.
The arena started to suffer under the constant impacts. Small cracks became larger fractures, and chunks of concrete were sent flying every time their attacks collided. What had started as a clean battlefield was slowly being reduced to rubble.
Both fighters were beginning to feel the toll on their bodies.
Kirishima landed a solid kick against Midoriya's ribs that forced the green-haired boy to stumble several meters backward.
Midoriya answered moments later with a punch directly to Kirishima's chest that left visible cracks across his hardened armor.
Neither was dominating anymore.
Every hit they landed was answered by another.
Every advantage lasted only a few seconds before the other adapted.
The crowd had completely fallen silent.
Even the commentators were speaking less.
Everyone was focused on the fight.
Watching two students push themselves beyond their limits.
Above the stadium, the four Yonkou watched attentively while continuing to eat pizza.
None of them looked particularly relaxed anymore.
"This is becoming a battle of endurance," Tamaki commented.
Mirio nodded.
"And neither of them knows how to quit."
Below them, Midoriya breathed heavily.
His arms hurt.
His legs hurt.
His lungs burned.
Meanwhile, Kirishima wasn't in much better shape.
His hardened armor was cracked in multiple places.
Several sections of his arms looked damaged, and maintaining his enhanced state was clearly becoming more difficult.
Both knew the fight couldn't continue forever.
Someone had to break first.
Then it happened.
For the briefest instant, Kirishima overcommitted.
It wasn't a major mistake.
Most people probably wouldn't have noticed it.
But Midoriya did.
The green-haired boy immediately planted both feet into the shattered arena floor.
The concrete beneath him cracked.
Energy surged through his body.
The lightning around him intensified dramatically.
Even from the stands, people could feel the sudden increase in pressure.
Raiden's eyes narrowed.
"Oh no..."
Midoriya ignored the warning signs.
Ignored the pain.
Ignored the strain.
Everything flowed into a single arm.
The energy output spiked.
"SMASH! EIGHT PERCENT!"
The punch connected.
The impact exploded across the arena.
A powerful shockwave expanded outward, sending dust and debris flying in every direction.
Kirishima's eyes widened.
For the first time in the entire match, his defense failed completely.
The red-haired student was launched through the air like a cannonball.
His body crossed the arena before crashing into the ground outside the combat area.
The crowd erupted.
However, Midoriya immediately paid the price.
The moment the attack landed, he staggered backward.
A sickening crack echoed from his arm.
The force of the attack had exceeded what his body could safely handle.
His forearm bent unnaturally.
It wasn't completely destroyed.
It wasn't anywhere near as catastrophic as when he had used One For All at full power.
But the injury was obvious.
A clean fracture ran through the forearm.
The arm hung uselessly at his side.
Midoriya gritted his teeth and almost fell to one knee.
The pain hit him all at once.
Eight percent had simply been too much.
Not impossible.
But definitely beyond his current limit.
The crowd watched with mixed reactions.
Some cheered.
Others looked worried.
Even Kirishima, still lying outside the arena, stared at Midoriya with surprise.
The fight was over.
Present Mic's voice exploded through the speakers.
"OUT OF BOUNDS! IZUKU MIDORIYA WINS!"
The stadium erupted into applause.
Medical personnel immediately rushed into the arena.
Recovery Girl herself was already moving toward the battlefield.
Within moments, Midoriya was being escorted away for treatment.
Above the stadium, the four Yonkou continued eating their pizza.
For several seconds, none of them said anything.
Then, almost simultaneously, they muttered their thoughts.
"Stupid."
"Reckless."
"There were other ways to win."
"Idiot."
The comments came from all four of them.
Not because they doubted Midoriya's determination.
Quite the opposite.
The boy had shown incredible willpower.
The problem was that he had paid for victory with an injury he could have avoided.
And from their perspective, that was simply bad combat judgment.
Especially because the tournament wasn't over yet.
Midoriya still had another fight waiting for him.
And now he would have to enter it with a broken arm.
In the eyes of the four Yonkou, that was a pretty idiotic way of winning.