The crowd erupted as UA's second-year students walked inside the stadium in their PE uniforms.
The very first thing that stood out to the students was the presence of the humongous screens, several hundred feet tall, propped at the boundary of the platforms.
With the stadium already covered in house-sized screens that were hanging from the ceiling, such large screens around the platform itself didn't make sense. Not only would the screens block the view, but no matter how much they magnified the events happening on the platform, it wouldn't be as engaging as watching it happen with the naked eye.
With no path to climb the platforms, the students stopped on the grassy ground itself.
It was then that they heard the laugh, ringing out from speakers all over the stadium.
"Puzzled about the next event, young ones?!" the voice boomed, riling the crowd to the extreme. "Worry not! Why? Because…"
And, from young to old, from civilians to Heroes, all shouted together.
"… I am here!"
All screens, together, showed All Might's smile.
The screens slowly zoomed out, revealing him in his Hero Costume.
And, this time, even the nervous students went wild, the entire stadium erupting as if it were a single entity.
All Might wasn't wearing his latest, capeless Hero Costume.
He wasn't even wearing his Silver Age or Bronze Age Costumes.
All Might, standing atop one of the hundred-foot-tall screens, was wearing his Young Age Costume, his blue-red cape flapping wildly with the gusts of wind, his eyes planted dead on the students as they looked up at him in sheer awe and excitement.
It seemed, this time, UA had gone above and beyond in capitalizing on All Might's presence, even going as far as dressing him in his Young Age Costume — an image that had taken the world by storm after seeing him return to his younger self during the Kamino Ward incident.
As if that wasn't enough, what happened next left the people and students gasping.
All Might dropped his Hero pose and… jumped off the insanely large screen.
Wind rushed against him, making his cape flail up, showing that he wasn't using any prop at all.
If this had been before, then such an act would not have affected anyone, as people had become used to seeing All Might jumping off buildings.
However, now, All Might wasn't the same All Might anymore.
He had not only retired, but he had also lost his Quirk.
Which meant, other than retaining his physique, he had no other helping hand that would let him survive such a jump.
And yet, there was a smile on the retired Hero's face, making everyone feel as if… everything was alright.
Suddenly, one of the screen panels in All Might's fall direction protruded out.
He used it as a stepping stone and killed a part of his momentum before jumping diagonally. Another panel protruded in that direction, which he used to jump in the opposite direction once again.
Again and again.
Defying all logic, as if losing his Quirk had affected neither his strength nor his agility, All Might landed on the ground with a thump, the microphone attached to his chest transferring the sound to the entire stadium.
Silence.
And shouts and screams, like one might have never heard before, replaced the silence.
Among the students, Bakugo, Midoriya, Luke, and others suddenly had the same thought.
Perhaps, even if Midoriya hadn't crushed the concrete boulder before it had fallen on All Might that day, he would have… still survived it easily.
Meanwhile, All Might let the people enjoy the moment before bringing silence to the stadium once again by clearing his throat.
"Yesterday," he began, looking up at the audience, all the screens reflecting his face, "the first years gave it their all, not only standing up, but also going beyond the standards UA tries to inculcate in its students. I am sure that the various Hero Agencies' scouts among you have more than a few candidates in their minds, giving you a headache. Well… I guess I am lucky that I don't have to deal with this anymore. Haha!"
A chuckle rumbled across the stadium as people laughed along with him.
Then, suddenly, All Might's face gained a serious look, his blue eyes glowing bluer on the screens as they landed on the students in front of him.
Not only the second year, but even the audience gulped.
That was not a look they were unfamiliar with, but… it still held the same intensity.
"If even first years have surpassed the standards," All Might began, "then, as their Seniors, you must set another level of standards for them."
Midoriya, Luke, Todoroki, and others' hearts sank.
The pressure of performing excellently was one thing.
To be asked to do the same by All Might himself was something else entirely.
"But…" All Might said, "… you are not in your first year anymore. We cannot test you on the same standard as your juniors. Also, keeping the current trends of the times in mind, UA has decided to… change the event for the second year. For the first time in the history of UA, there will be no multiple stages to filter the students to a final stage."
Shocked whispers mingled with curious gasps.
"Know that the new event is not for the faint of heart," All Might said, a heaviness oozing out of his voice. "As such, to prevent injuries, each of you will be given a choice to participate in the event or not."
This time, it was the students' turn to express their shock.
A choice of participation?! If UA were giving a choice, then… the chances of getting injured were truly high, no?!
Just what kind of event had UA cooked up for this year's Sports Festival?!
And, even as the students thought of those questions, their hearts skipped a beat as they saw the corners of the retired Pro's lips curling up on the huge screens.
"There will be no multiple rounds, because…" All Might said, now smiling wider than ever, "… there will be only one round — from start to finish. One stage. One round. One winner."
And, two words began manifesting in all minds, making many students' faces pale instantly.
"Yeah…" All Might made a fist. "… We are going to have a — Battle Royale!"