Leon thought he couldn't feel any more disappointed in his parents. Yet, they kept proving him wrong.
"Pieces of shit," he muttered under his breath, gripping the chilled glass in his hand.
"Language, young man, or I'll throw you in," came the lazy response from Thadius, his grandfather, who was sprawled on a reclined chair beneath the shade of a large umbrella. The old man wasn't exactly a role model himself, sipping his drink while basking in the luxury of their private beach.
Leon huffed but didn't argue. It was July—vacation season—and for the past three years, these trips with his grandfather had been the best part of his life. Thinking back, he honestly couldn't remember how he had managed summer breaks with his parents around.
Scratch that—he could. They kicked him out.
"Your grandfather already takes care of you, so you might as well live with him."
That had been their final excuse, washing their hands of him like he was some unwanted burden. Not that he cared. When he had told Thadius, the old man had wasted no time setting him up with his own place—a suburban house with caretakers to handle his basic needs. Then, when Leon got older, the caretakers were dismissed, leaving him to live on his own with what Thadius called a "strict budget."
It wasn't strict. Not at all. He wasn't drowning in wealth, but he had everything he needed.
'Had no reason to spend more than necessary.'
Sipping his juice, he leaned back into his chair, feeling the warm breeze roll over him. He had gotten used to this—the peace, the independence, the sheer freedom of living his life without anyone dictating his every move.
Then, Thadius spoke up, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Leon."
He turned his head slightly. "Yeah?"
"Have you thought about what you want to do after high school?" The old man's voice was casual but firm. "I know you don't need to work, but I won't allow you to just sit around doing nothing."
Leon smirked. "No need to worry, old man." He swirled his drink, watching the ice clink against the glass. "I'm gonna be a hero. Join U.A., and go from there."
For a moment, Thadius said nothing. Then, a slow grin spread across his face.
"That so?"
Leon nodded. "That's so."
The old man let out a low chuckle, taking a sip from his drink before setting it down. "Then you'd better be ready. That path ain't an easy one."
Leon scoffed. "Wouldn't be worth it if it was."
Thadius studied him for a moment, then gave a satisfied nod. "Good answer."
Thadius let out a long exhale, his gaze drifting toward the horizon where the sea met the sky. The old man looked relaxed—content, even—but Leon knew better. There was a weight to his words, a sharpness to his tone that meant this conversation wasn't over.
"You're serious about U.A.?" Thadius finally asked.
Leon glanced at him and shrugged. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"
Thadius smirked. "Because it's a damn battlefield, that's why. You think they let in just anyone? Even with your quirk, it won't be easy."
Leon took a slow sip of his juice, hiding the small flicker of amusement in his eyes. Quirk, huh? He never bothered correcting Thadius on that. The old man had seen him use his abilities before and had simply assumed it was a quirk. It was easier to let him believe that. Explaining mana, Class Wheel, and everything else? That would be way too much effort.
"Yeah, well," Leon said, setting his glass down, "nothing worth doing is ever easy."
Thadius studied him for a moment, then nodded. "Good answer. But don't think just because you've got a head start, you can slack off. There's a difference between talent and skill. One fades if you don't put in the work."
Leon smirked. "I know. That's why I'm training every day."
Thadius chuckled. "Good. Because I was gonna throw you into hell whether you liked it or not."
Leon raised an eyebrow. "…What?"
Before he could react, Thadius snapped his fingers, and two massive figures appeared from seemingly nowhere, standing just behind Leon's chair. He barely had time to turn his head before a shadow loomed over him.
Then—a splash.
Cold, salty water exploded around him as he was thrown into the ocean like a sack of rocks. The moment he hit the water, instinct took over. He twisted mid-air, letting his body cut through the surface more smoothly than expected, his training kicking in.
But as soon as he emerged, gasping slightly, he saw them—his opponents.
Two men, each built like a damn tank, stood at the edge of the shore. They weren't just bodyguards. They were Thadius' personal enforcers.
Leon had sparred with them before. He had never won.
But today was different.
"You little bastard!" Leon coughed, shaking the water out of his hair. "You could've just told me to get in!"
Thadius laughed, loud and unapologetic. "Where's the fun in that? Now get back here—we're training."
Leon groaned, but deep down, he was already grinning.
If this was hell, then he was ready to burn.
Leon pulled himself out of the water, shaking off the excess seawater as he trudged toward the shore. His soaked clothes clung to him, and his hair dripped onto his face, but he ignored the discomfort. His focus was on the two enforcers waiting for him, standing like sentinels of doom at the edge of the beach.
Their names were Victor and Gareth, two of Thadius' most trusted men. They weren't just bodyguards—they were ex-military, highly trained, and enhanced by their quirks.
Victor, the mountain of muscle, had a quirk called Titan's Fortitude. His body was absurdly tough, resistant to physical attacks, and capable of regenerating minor injuries in minutes. He didn't need to dodge—he simply endured.
Gareth, the leaner and faster of the two, had a quirk called Foresight Reaction. His body instinctively reacted to threats before his brain even processed them, making it seem like he had superhuman reflexes. If you telegraphed an attack, he would dodge it before you even finished moving.
Leon had trained with them before, and each session had been a painful lesson in survival.
Thadius, still lounging in his chair under the umbrella, sipped his drink and waved lazily. "Alright, boy. Let's see if you've actually been keeping up with your training."
Leon cracked his neck, rolling his shoulders to loosen up. His body was stronger than it had been a year ago. His mana reserves had grown, his techniques had sharpened, and he was no longer just flailing around when he fought. But these guys?
They were still leagues above him.
Gareth smirked. "Think you'll last longer than five minutes this time?"
Leon grinned. "Why? You getting old? I might actually beat you if your back starts acting up."
Victor chuckled, a deep, rumbling sound. "Cocky. Let's see if you can back it up."
Leon didn't wait for an invitation.
With a quick exhale, he activated Class Wheel.
[Class Wheel: Damage Dealer]
[Skills Acquired: Quick Slash, Combat Instincts]
Immediately, his body felt lighter, sharper. His muscles tensed with newfound speed, and his vision became hyper-focused, analyzing every twitch of movement from his opponents.
Victor moved first.
A blur of muscle and speed.
Leon barely had time to react before the man was in front of him, launching a devastating punch aimed straight at his gut. He twisted his body at the last second, narrowly avoiding the hit, but—
Gareth was already behind him.
A swift kick to the back of his knee sent Leon stumbling, but he rolled with the impact, flipping backward to gain distance. His feet barely touched the sand before he lunged forward, aiming a palm strike at Gareth's ribs.
Blocked.
Gareth caught his wrist mid-strike, twisting it in a painful lock. Leon gritted his teeth but didn't panic. He let mana surge through his arm, enhancing his strength just enough to yank himself free before delivering a sharp elbow toward Gareth's shoulder.
The man dodged, but Leon didn't stop.
He switched stances instantly, using his speed to press the attack. He wasn't strong enough to overpower them, so he had to outmaneuver them. He ducked under a swing from Victor, sidestepped Gareth's counterattack, and aimed a sharp kick at Victor's ribs—
Only for his leg to be caught mid-air.
Victor sighed. "Too predictable."
Then he threw Leon.
Hard.
Leon hit the sand with force, skidding across the beach like a ragdoll. He coughed, pushing himself up, but Gareth was already on top of him, ready to pin him down.
Leon reacted on instinct.
[Class Wheel: Mage]
[Skills Acquired: Mana Missile, Mana Attunement]
A surge of mana exploded from his palm—not an attack, but a burst of force. The sudden propulsion sent him sliding away just in time, dodging Gareth's grab.
He rolled to his feet, panting. This was the longest he had lasted so far.
Thadius, still watching from his chair, let out a short chuckle. "Not bad, boy. But you still got a long way to go."
Leon wiped some sweat and seawater from his forehead, grinning despite himself. This was exhausting. Painful. Brutal.
But damn it all—
He was enjoying every second of it.
Leon adjusted his stance, exhaling slowly as the adrenaline surged through his veins. His body ached from the previous exchange, but his mind was sharp. This fight wasn't over yet.
Gareth cracked his knuckles, eyes gleaming with amusement. "You're lasting longer than usual. Not bad, kid."
Victor rolled his shoulders. "But it won't be enough."
Leon grinned.
"Let's test that."
He activated Class Wheel again.
[Class Wheel: Damage Dealer → Mage]
[Skills Acquired: Mana Missile, Mana Attunement]
[Combination Detected]
[New Skill Acquired: Mana Edge]
This was new.
He hadn't used the Mana Edge ability in an actual fight before—not against these two, at least. They'd only seen his raw strength and speed, but they hadn't seen what happened when he combined classes.
That would change now.
Gareth moved first, dashing toward him with his usual blazing speed. His quirk, Foresight Reaction, would let him predict movements before they even happened. It made feints and surprise attacks nearly useless.
But what about attacks he couldn't see?
Leon raised his hand, channeling mana into his fingers. Instead of firing a projectile, he shaped the energy around his hand, extending it into a blade-like form. Mana Edge.
Gareth's smirk faltered for a fraction of a second—just long enough.
Leon swung.
The blade wasn't physical. It wasn't something Gareth could react to like a normal punch or kick. It moved faster than his body ever could, slicing through the air with almost no resistance.
Gareth barely managed to dodge, but the edge still cut through his sleeve, leaving a thin burn along his arm. He stumbled back, eyes wide.
Victor's reaction was immediate—he charged forward, aiming to overwhelm Leon before he could attack again. Titan's Fortitude made him nearly unbreakable, but that was fine.
Leon adjusted his stance.
Mana pulsed through his body, merging the instincts of a Damage Dealer with the precision of a Mage.
He stepped forward, feinting a punch before twisting his wrist mid-motion, transforming it into a Mana Edge strike. Victor instinctively raised his arms to block—
—only for the blade to pass through without resistance.
It didn't cut his flesh, but the sheer force of raw energy disrupting his defenses sent a shock through his muscles, making him stagger.
Thadius, who had been watching lazily, suddenly sat up straighter. His eyes gleamed with interest.
Victor shook off the sensation, eyes narrowing. "That's new."
Gareth smirked, rubbing his arm where the mana had burned him. "Yeah. And annoying."
Leon rolled his shoulders, breathing a little harder now. The Mana Edge took more energy than he thought.
But the look on his opponents' faces?
Worth it.
Thadius let out a booming laugh. "Now that is interesting!" He leaned forward, eyes glinting with approval. "You're finally thinking like a fighter, boy."
Leon exhaled, lowering his stance slightly. "Took me long enough, huh?"
Gareth and Victor exchanged glances before assuming their stances again.
The fight wasn't over yet.