Chapter 14 - No Mercy

Author's Note: Can you guys suggest hero names for Leo? Thanks!

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On the sea, multiple ships can be seen transporting nearly four thousand strong examinees. While the vessels were numerous, they were not alone. Helicopters flew around the group, surrounding them.

Protection? Maybe.

But it was awe to look at nonetheless. With this many choppers around them, they felt secure.

On the outside, everything seemed calm. Everything worked like a well-oiled machine. No hindrances and no villains.

However, the tension on the ships was different. Everyone was gauging each other, no matter the timid, confident, cocky, or arrogant. Everyone studied everyone.

Many boasted their feats of strength by flexing. Flexing their trained muscles, activating their quirks, and getting bigger, trying to intimidate those around them.

Others bragged about the use of their quirk. How they will be able to outmaneuver everyone they encounter, and the brawns of others were useless.

A few talked of their intelligent mind, trying to boost their self-esteem. Saying things like how quirks were overrated and how mind over matter triumphs all.

And least of all, the quiet ones. The quiet ones held an aura of confidence, or maybe a few were just shy to the bone. But one thing is for sure, they didn't strut like a peacock.

And in all this, Leo just stood by the railings, observing everything with his golden irises. His size intimidated a few; some even tried talking loud when near him, trying to rattle his nerves. Of course, this did nothing. It looked weirdly cringe from his view.

'God... almost everyone is basically showing their cards at the start. Hell, one hour into this trip, I already know what everyone in this section of the ship can do.' He thought to himself, changing his standing position when it gets too numb at a certain point.

Deciding that he had seen enough, he closed his eyes and allowed [danger sense] to activate. He didn't really understand it. At first, he thought he had another quirk, but his mom assured him that it was not the case.

Anyway, as he sensed, he felt prickly. This didn't mean he was in danger, no. When he was in real threat, his head would announce it. After all, that excruciating headache during the school shooting was the sign.

But feeling prickly? He just categorized it as people staring at him, but once, a minor sensation also floods his brain. Then those stares meant ill will. And, so far, they have yet to do so.

'Hm, it seems I got a lot of people staring at me. Because of the looks and height? Yeah, probably because of that, haha,' at times, Leo, too, likes to be cheeky. But he just keeps it to himself.

In his musings, he didn't notice a quarrel brewing and getting stronger. In fact, it started with an initial two but slowly divulged into a group argument about what quirk type was best.

Eventually, the noise reached Leo's ears, instinctively opened his eyes to observe what was ensuing.

"We heteromorphic quirk users are the best! We always have our quirks active and can actively use them; you buck-tooth git!" A boy with a crystalline body shouted with added insults at a kid who had beaver-looking front teeth.

Insulted, he fired back, "Oh yeah? What are you gonna do? Salt my steaks? All you need now is pepper!" And with those words, the crystalline boy was, in fact, a body of salt.

Salt boy's gritty face fidgetted and had a slight pink hue, "HA! Look! His face turned pink! Like Himalayan salts! HAHA!" A chorus of laughter followed, but some still shouted that heteromorphs were best.

"Why you...!" Humiliated by what transpired, he slashed with his hand, throwing all manners of salt at the buck-tooth git. His body took the rock salts without damage, but his eyes couldn't withstand the iodized salts.

Suffice it to say, screaming ensued. "ARHHHHH! MY EYES!" the buck-tooth kid kneeled and scratched his eyes, trying to remove the irritant. Not knowing his rubbing only chafed his eyes even more.

What followed next was a no-brainer. A fight occurred, with some just joining in for the heck of it. A quirk mayhem happened on deck.

Leo, an audience to all this, was amused. "On deck entertainment, the luxury, I can taste it." He joked to himself and used a bit of his quirk to further enhance his hearing.

But weirdly, as the fight progressed, he felt tingling but couldn't tell where the 'harm' was coming from due to the commotion.

After a full minute, a couple kids were knocked unconscious, and the rest were suddenly restrained via vests. The vest they wore successfully denied the wranglers of their movement, and those who resisted further received electric shocks.

A brawl that only spanned an entire minute was immediately stopped.

Disappointed that it didn't continue Leo was about to rest, but he heard some snickering off to the side.

"Hehehe~, stupid morons. Getting so easily riled up by my quirk," an unhealthy pale-faced teen said, sniggering to himself, happy at the chaos he created.

"Although, that big chum to the side wasn't affected. It woulda been even more fun and removed more competition as well, as these dull-witted people get disqualified~!" Leo didn't react but knew the teen was staring at him. How did he know? Well, a prickly feeling and a sensation in the brain were what he felt. Ill intent.

Hearing this, Leo felt vexed that someone had tried manipulating him. 'Emotion manipulating type of quirk?' Scrunching his brows, he slowly walked to the pale-faced teen. Taking a closer look, the kid was the stereotypical look of some gamer-otaku who wasted the night drinking sodas.

While the schemer of the situation was unaware of the approaching giant of a teen, he giddily looked around, thinking any more would 'rise' up to the occasion.

Suddenly, a firm hand landed on his shoulder, startling him. "HIEE!" A squeal escaped. The schemer looked over his shoulder and was stunned to see his supposed puppet staring down at him.

Leo, angered, tightened his grip, eliciting a pained grunt from the shaggy-looking boy. "I heard you." The angered teen voiced, staring into the eyes of the trickster.

Lowering his face and activating his quirk for the intimidation factor of his eyes glowing, he said, "You won't get out of my sight. And once we get off this boat, I will break your limbs with my fists."

Looking around, Leo thoroughly observed the chaos the fucker in front of him caused. If he had fallen prey to the machinations of the brat, his goal would've ended then and there.

Leo continued, not knowing how much the teen shook from fear due to his firm grip. "There wasn't a rule in crippling examinees instantly and just leaving them be. So... try your best."

Leo strode around the deck, calming himself, leaving the perpetrator with a pat on the shoulder he just broke. He had never gotten that furious before. Maybe the idea of not accomplishing his family's freedom is something he cherishes enormously.

And to have that stripped away was akin to shackling Leonidas for life under the guise of this fake name.

Gripping his fist in untold anger, he imagined piano tunes in his head, trying to ease his thoughts. Eventually, it worked, and all was normal again.

"Ha... this is mentally straining," was all he said to himself.

[All who were a part of the earlier commotion will stay on board the ship for one day as punishment. Thank you.]

'At least not disqualified.'

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Off to another boat, some girl looked in the direction of Leo's ship after his little show of power.

A teen girl, to be exact, with pale skin, purple eyes with light blue pupils, and long, dark violet braided hair that becomes lighter at the ends. Attached to her captivating purple was an eccentric hairpin with pale violet flowers resembling morning glories and a fan-shaped piece.

This was Raiden Ei. The secret daughter of Kayden Break, one of if not the greatest wielders of an electrokinesis quirk on Earth. Each of his battles, at minimum, destroys the building he's in. Hence, whenever a villain sees him, they flee on sight.

And that very man, who's been fighting worldwide in search of strong competitors, has sired a child, to which very few know of her parentage.

Now, the daughter of said person is undertaking an exam with goals of her own. But before that, she stared at the ship Leo was on.

Due to the nature of her quirk, and like her father, she is sensitive to energy, power, or electrical things in nature. And Leo, who inherited a form of One For All, is one such thing, a stockpile of power.

Hence when Leo scared the schemer a little, Raiden could feel it. At first, she thought it was negligible, but when she considered the distance, she changed her perspective.

"It appears someone notable appeared within the rabble," she absently said while looking around her. Like her, she too is experiencing a parade of useless peacocks, prancing their quirks around.

Generally, the boat ride with other examinees is meant for the chance to team up, but the idea of sharing points doesn't seem appealing to them.

She closed her eyes to nap away the wait, but she couldn't, for the simple fact that someone was trying to get her attention. "Eating my hair, I can extend my length in proportion to the length of hair I just ate! Amazing, huh?" Those were the teen boy's words.

This was something that she was experiencing ever since she stepped on the ship. No one can blame them when she was a beauty they had yet to encounter.

The boy tried looking like he was talking to the person in front of him, with the other person none the wiser of the boy's intention. But the teen's incessant gaze and loud mouth were prickling at Raiden's patience.

'I wasn't intending on fighting others since they hold no significance, but a change of plans is much needed.'

Her ruffled emotions were causing the light to flicker, making a few look confused.

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Off the coast of the U.S.A. was an island annually visited by Hero hopefuls of the best Academy in the world. And that same island was surrounded by ships, like the hour hands on a clock.

The island was massive and circular in shape, and in its outline were sands, creating a beach perimeter. Further, on the island, much flora was to be seen. Bushy plants of all types and palm trees stood towering.

On the shore, bags of all types littered the sandy beaches. What it contained, no examinee knows, but it was something needed, for sure. Further ahead, the land gets higher, forming small mountains of sorts.

In short, the island was huge, something nearly 4000 examinees could not hope to fill.

The funny thing was most of the examinees were confused. Why were they not docking ran in their minds?

Leo, however, was not one of them. Examining his vest once again, he now saw it as a life jacket. 'I guess? Not everyone can swim, and saving examinees from drowning would be a logistical hassle?'

'Hmm, I suppose I wouldn't be able to focus on the prick,' glancing at the terrified teen, who avoided his glance any way he could.

Without warning, a gunshot fired, tensing Leo up ever so slightly and making him remember his past school's horrific event.

[Start!]

'Just play pianos in your head, Leo,' he thinks, psyching himself up. Seeing the prick still scared out of his wits, he changed his mind. He does have the opportunity to enact a small revenge.

Charging straight toward the schemer, the pale-unhealthy looking teen could only wail and wag his arms defensively. He tried using his quirk on other teens, but in his own scared thoughts, he couldn't affect other well.

"N-No! NO! NO PLEASE!?" he screamed, but the words were useless when a shoulder bash struck you on your body and face.

They were headed straight for the deep waters, with Leo holding firmly onto the boy. *Splash* Just under a few meters of the water's surface, Leo began pummeling the person's legs and arms, and each punch cracked a limb.

With each attack the boy received, he gulped in some water. Hitting each limb at least twice, he swam up satisfied, leaving the unconscious boy to slowly float up.

'Feel all better already.'

And without so much as an obstacle, he broke the water's surface, rising high into the air with his markings glowing, showing the activation of his quirk.

But instead of dropping straight for the oceanic water again, he rose higher and then moved straight. He flew! His flying wasn't the fastest, but he was fast when he added his energy into the mix.

With his golden energy cloaking his body and looking fiery as well, he embodied the form of a comet.

If his mother were to see the scene, she would tear up. It resembled Atreus' special move, Grand Starfall. It was a move that the two of them came up with, but one he never got to use. After all, he stuck close to home, guarding their rural shoreside community.

On his flight, he saw many struggling to swim, but some did not. Those with no struggle could: fly, water-based quirks, and mutant quirks with aquatic animal traits.

Reaching the shores first, he began rifling through the bags. And all were manners of essentials. Sunblock, first aid, extra rations, and water.

Grabbing a greater and better-looking bag, he stuffed his small provided drybag inside and filled it with the things he refiled through. Looking back to check his opponents, he noted that some had already reached the shore, the flyers anyway.

Without hinting of guilt and remorse, he shot blasts of energy at the provisions he could see, getting wild shoutings from the other examinees. The said provisions and bags were all ripped and exploded to pieces, rendering them useless.

Not stopping there, he blasts the angered examinees, who were too focused on the loss of extra everything. His energy blasts struck them square on the chest, earning pained cries.

Looking at the still incoming swimmers, he considered wiping out some too, but their distance was too great. Along with the wavy waters, shooting at them would just be wasting his reserves.

"Oh, well, that's enough for now." Without looking back, he entered the jungled forest, ready to hunt for his first points.

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"The muthafucker can fly too!"

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CHEERS!

Raiden's first name is Ei in the game. However, I switched it here. Raiden, as the first name, sounded cool to me. Anyway, enjoy!