BNHA: Lioren

The air between them was thick with tension. Sweat dripped down Leon's temple as he steadied his breathing. His mana reserves weren't empty, but they were getting close. One last push.

Gareth rolled his shoulders, his usual smirk still in place, but the burn on his arm told a different story. Victor cracked his neck, shaking off the lingering numbness from Leon's Mana Edge. They weren't backing down.

Leon exhaled, shifting his stance. Fine. One more exchange.

Gareth moved first—a blur of motion.

Even without thinking, Leon could read the movement now. Foresight Reaction let Gareth predict attacks, but it didn't change the fact that his body still had to move to react.

Leon stepped into the attack, closing the gap instantly.

Gareth's punch was aimed at his ribs, but Leon twisted his body mid-motion, letting it graze past his side. At the same time, he summoned Mana Edge in his free hand and swiped upward.

Gareth barely managed to dodge, but not fast enough—his cheek burned as the energy skimmed past him.

Victor was already moving, his Titan's Fortitude making his steps feel like miniature earthquakes. Too late.

Leon pivoted.

His fist, still crackling with mana, collided with Victor's stomach. Not a clean hit—but enough.

Victor stumbled back, exhaling sharply.

Leon's vision blurred for a second. Damn. That last hit had taken more out of him than expected.

Gareth, still rubbing his cheek, suddenly laughed. Not his usual cocky one—an actual, amused laugh.

"Well, that was something." He let out a breath, rolling his neck. "I hate to admit it, but I think if we keep going, we'll just end up knocking each other out."

Victor nodded, stretching his shoulders. "Agreed."

Leon glanced between them before sighing. A draw, huh?

He ran a hand through his hair, exhaustion finally hitting him. "Fine by me."

Thadius clapped, his deep laugh echoing across the beach. "Now that was a fight! Well done, all of you."

Leon let himself fall onto the sand, staring up at the sky. His body ached, his mana was low, and yet—he felt good.

Leon barely registered the way the waves lapped at the shore, their rhythmic sound lulling him into unconsciousness. His body had finally given in. The fight had drained him—not just physically, but mentally.

As his breathing evened out, Thadius took a step forward, his sharp eyes lingering on his grandson before turning to Gareth and Victor.

Neither of them looked particularly relaxed. Gareth wiped a trickle of blood from his cheek, while Victor was stretching his sore muscles, his brows furrowed in thought.

Thadius smirked. "You look troubled."

Gareth scoffed, running a hand through his damp hair. "Yeah, no shit."

Victor let out a slow breath. "...I don't think we could've beaten him."

Thadius's gaze sharpened. "Oh?"

Victor glanced at the old man before looking down at the boy fast asleep in the sand, his chest rising and falling steadily.

"We were fighting to kill." His voice was calm, but there was a trace of something else there. Frustration? Respect? Maybe both.

Gareth rubbed his jaw. "Yeah. I was holding back on the Quirk output a little, sure, but my attacks were meant to put him down permanently if they connected. Same for Victor. And yet…"

He trailed off, his expression turning unreadable.

Thadius filled in the blank. "And yet he wasn't fighting to kill."

Victor nodded. "Not once. He fought to win, but not to kill. Not like we did."

For a moment, none of them spoke, the sound of waves filling the silence.

Then Gareth let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. "It's actually insane when you think about it." He motioned toward Leon. "This kid, who we both assumed we could put in the dirt, just treated this fight like training."

Victor crossed his arms. "I wouldn't say it was just training. He was serious. But… I don't think he ever intended to actually put us down for good."

Thadius's smirk faded slightly. He watched his grandson's sleeping face, a silent pride flickering in his expression.

"That's his strength," he said simply. "It always has been."

Gareth arched an eyebrow. "Not wanting to kill? In a world like this?"

Thadius's eyes gleamed. "You mistake kindness for weakness, boy."

Gareth flinched slightly but didn't argue.

Thadius continued. "Leon is calculating. He has the mind of a strategist, one that thinks beyond just the battle in front of him. He fought to prove he was better—not to erase an enemy. And that's precisely why he won, even if the match ended in a draw."

Victor's grip on his arms tightened. "Because we relied too much on brute strength."

Thadius nodded. "You relied on winning through dominance. He relied on winning through control."

Gareth clicked his tongue. "Tch. Annoying."

Victor exhaled, his gaze flicking back to Leon. "If he ever does start fighting seriously, though…"

Gareth shoved his hands into his pockets, finishing the thought. "Yeah. That's game over."

The three of them stood in silence once more, watching the boy who had unknowingly shaken their perspectives.

Thadius, though, simply smiled.

…

As the conversation between Thadius, Gareth, and Victor settled into a reflective silence, the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the beach. The salty breeze carried the distant calls of seagulls, and the gentle waves continued their rhythmic lull.

After a moment, Thadius took a sip from his drink, eyes still fixed on Leon's sleeping form. "You two realize what this means, don't you?"

Victor frowned. "That he's stronger than we thought?"

Thadius chuckled. "Obviously. But more than that, he's still growing. What happens when he does start fighting to kill? When his mind fully matures, and he realizes that some battles demand more than just victory?"

Gareth exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Tch. If that happens…" He looked at Leon again, shaking his head. "He'll be a damn monster."

Victor folded his arms. "A monster that doesn't want to be one. That's the dangerous part."

Thadius's smirk widened slightly. "And that is why he'll be stronger than most. Strength without restraint is just power. But strength with restraint?" He took another sip, savoring the moment. "That's something else entirely."

The conversation trailed off as the sun dipped below the horizon. Eventually, Thadius stood up, stretching his back before giving the two men a sharp glance.

"Come on. Let's get him inside before he wakes up covered in sand."

Victor and Gareth exchanged a glance before sighing and moving toward the boy. Carefully, they lifted Leon up—Gareth taking his legs and Victor supporting his upper body.

Even unconscious, Leon's body was tense, muscles coiled like a spring ready to snap. Gareth muttered under his breath. "Even in his sleep, he's prepared for a fight."

Thadius turned toward the house. "Good. He'll need that."

With that, they carried the sleeping boy inside, leaving the moon to watch over the now-empty beach.

The hallway lights cast a soft glow over the polished wood floors as the trio moved through the mansion, their footsteps muffled by the thick carpet

Victor glanced at Leon's sleeping face, noting the way his expression remained neutral even in rest. "It's weird."

"What is?" Gareth asked, adjusting his grip.

Victor tilted his head. "How calm he looks. After a fight like that, you'd expect him to be twitching, or at least showing some sign of strain. But it's like he's… still ready."

Gareth grunted. "Kid's been through a lot. Doesn't even have normal parents to go back to. I'd be tense all the time too."

Thadius, walking a step ahead, gave a small hum of agreement. "He's learned to keep himself in check. That's good. But he still needs guidance."

They entered one of the guest rooms, a spacious but minimalistic space that Thadius had set up specifically for Leon's stays. The bed was large, but not excessive, the walls lined with bookshelves filled with combat manuals, philosophy books, and even some fiction. A desk sat near the window, its surface clean except for a few notes and a single picture frame—one of Leon and Thadius from a previous vacation.

Gently, they set Leon down onto the bed. The moment they let go, his body subtly shifted, adjusting into a defensive position even in sleep.

Victor raised an eyebrow. "That's some serious muscle memory."

Thadius smirked. "He trains every day, refines his instincts, and cultivates that strange energy of his. Of course, his body moves on its own now."

Gareth pulled a chair from the desk and sat down with a sigh. "So? What's the plan?"

Thadius sat on the armchair near the window, looking out at the darkening sky. "UA."

Victor narrowed his eyes. "You're really pushing him toward that, huh?"

Thadius chuckled. "He already chose that path. I'm just making sure he's prepared for it."

Gareth leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. "You sure? Seems like you've invested more into him than just helping out a family member. Feels like you're expecting something from him."

Thadius didn't answer right away. His golden eyes gleamed slightly in the dim light. "Maybe I am. But it's not about inheritance, not about making him into my successor or anything that small. No…" He leaned back, exhaling slowly. "Leon is special. And I don't mean his 'quirk.' There's something in him that's beyond."

Victor and Gareth exchanged glances.

Thadius continued, "And if I don't help him carve his own path, someone else will do it for him. And I doubt they'll have his best interests in mind."

A heavy silence settled in the room.

After a moment, Victor smirked. "You make it sound like the kid's going to change the world."

Thadius chuckled. "Would that really be so surprising?"

Gareth shook his head. "Not really."

They sat in silence for a while, the only sound being Leon's soft breathing. Eventually, Thadius stood up. "You two should get some rest. Tomorrow, we talk about the next step in his training.

Victor stretched, yawning. "Yeah, yeah. Guess we should enjoy the peace while it lasts."

As they left the room, Thadius lingered for a moment, glancing back at his sleeping grandson

Under his breath, he murmured, "You've come far, Leon. But you still have a long way to go."

Then, he turned off the light and shut the door, leaving Leon to rest.