The roar of the crowd surged as the remaining teams stumbled out of the maze. The screens above displayed their battered and bruised forms, a stark contrast to my team's composed arrival. Midnight's voice crackled over the speakers, dripping with mock sympathy.

"What a brutal round! Looks like the Maze of Mayhem wasn't kind to everyone, huh, Present Mic?"

Present Mic's booming laughter filled the stadium. "You said it, Midnight! But let's hear it for all our competitors who made it through in one piece—or mostly one piece!"

The audience laughed as cameras panned to Bakugo, his singed outfit and scowl a testament to his rage. A fleeting sense of satisfaction washed over me as I spotted the remnants of Class 1-A dragging themselves toward the finish line.

Monoma from Class 1-B waved cheerfully at me, probably already planning to spend his bribe money. I gave him a subtle nod, which seemed to satisfy him for now.

Midnight raised her microphone, her presence commanding as she drew everyone's attention. "Now that all teams have cleared the maze, it's time to announce the next phase!"

The tension in the air was palpable. Everyone leaned in, waiting for the next challenge.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for... The Combat Gauntlet!"

A collective murmur ran through the stadium. Midnight's grin widened as she explained.

"Each team will select a leader to defend a flag while the other members work to eliminate opponents and steal flags from rival teams. Victory goes to the last team standing with their flag intact!"

Present Mic added, "It's gonna be chaos out there, folks! Teamwork, strategy, and raw power will determine who comes out on top!"

Midnight's gaze swept over the competitors. "Choose your leaders wisely—and remember, no holding back!"

I turned to my team, already knowing what needed to happen. "I'll be the leader."

Shigaraki frowned, his eyes narrowing. "You sure about that? You're quirkless, remember?"

"Exactly," I said, my voice calm but firm. "Nobody expects me to survive, let alone win. That gives us an edge."

Hatsume tilted her head, intrigued. "You've got a plan, don't you?"

"Always," I replied with a smirk.

As the teams scattered to prepare, I took my position with the flag, my mind racing with strategies. The gauntlet wasn't about brute strength; it was about control and manipulation.

"Shigaraki, you're our offense. Focus on taking out Class 1-A first—they're too proud to work together, so exploit that. Hatsume, you're on support. Use your gadgets to disrupt enemy formations. Tokoyami, you're defense. Keep the flag safe, no matter what."

They nodded, their trust in me unwavering.

Before we separated, I added, "And remember: don't let them bait you. Stay focused on the objective. Victory is all that matters."

As they moved into position, I couldn't help but feel a flicker of pride. They were ready for this—because I had made them ready.

As the signal to begin blared across the arena, chaos erupted. Teams clashed in a frenzy of quirks and tactics, but my team moved with precision.

Shigaraki led the charge, his Decay quirk forcing Class 1-A to scatter. Bakugo lunged at him, explosions lighting up the battlefield, but Shigaraki dodged effortlessly, his grin taunting.

"You're all bark, Bakugo," he sneered, his hand brushing against a piece of debris and reducing it to dust.

Hatsume launched a barrage of smoke grenades, obscuring the battlefield and disorienting the other teams. Her voice crackled over our comms. "They're blind as bats! Moving to disrupt their formations!"

Meanwhile, Tokoyami stood guard by my side, Dark Shadow looming protectively around us. "Midoriya, you're unnervingly calm for someone without a quirk in the middle of this chaos."

I smirked, adjusting my stance. "Calm wins wars, Tokoyami. Let the others lose their heads while we stay sharp."

Suddenly, Todoroki emerged from the smoke, his ice quirk freezing everything in its path. His expression was as cold as his attacks.

"Midoriya," he said, his voice steady, "you can't win this."

"Can't I?" I replied, stepping aside just as Dark Shadow blocked a massive ice spike aimed at me.

Todoroki's eyes flickered with surprise, but I didn't give him a chance to recover. "Tokoyami, take him down. We don't need distractions."

Dark Shadow surged forward, forcing Todoroki to retreat.

On the other side of the battlefield, Monoma and his team were making their move. I caught sight of him heading toward another flag and decided it was time to intervene.

Activating my comms, I called Hatsume. "Shift focus to Class 1-B. They're getting too close to another flag."

"Got it!" she replied, launching a series of gadgets that sent Monoma's team scrambling.

I approached Monoma, keeping my tone light but firm. "Monoma, you've done well so far. But let's be honest—this isn't your fight."

He hesitated, clearly torn between pride and pragmatism.

"You took my money earlier," I reminded him. "Consider this an investment in your future. Step aside, and I'll make sure you're remembered as the smart one who knew when to retreat."

Monoma sighed, reluctantly signaling his team to fall back.

Shigaraki's voice crackled over the comms. "You're ruthless, boss. I like it."

"Save the compliments for after we win," I replied.

As the chaos began to subside, it became clear that my team was dominating. Flags fell one by one until only ours remained.

Midnight's voice boomed across the arena. "And the winners of the Combat Gauntlet are... Team Midoriya!"

The crowd erupted into cheers, but I barely registered it. My focus was on my team, their exhausted but triumphant expressions confirming that all the preparation had paid off.

As we regrouped, I allowed myself a rare moment of satisfaction.

"Good work, everyone," I said, my tone softer than usual. "But this is just the beginning. Stay sharp—we're not done yet."

Shigaraki smirked, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. "What's next, boss?"

I smiled, the weight of the moment sinking in. "Now, we show the world what we're capable of."