Five years had passed quietly inside the Nozomi household.
The infant who once slept beneath faint sparks of lightning had grown into a composed and thoughtful child. Life in their quiet neighborhood in Manila continued at its usual pace, filled with ordinary sounds—distant traffic, children playing in the street, and the occasional call of vendors passing through the area. Nothing about the neighborhood hinted that something unusual was unfolding behind the walls of the Nozomi home.
Kosoku was now five years old.
Soft silver hair rested around his young face, and his ocean-blue eyes carried a steady awareness that often unsettled adults who looked too closely. Most children his age filled their mornings with cartoons, toys, or noisy games. Kosoku's mornings began differently.
They began with training.
The backyard of the Nozomi home had gradually turned into a small practice ground. Wooden training dummies stood near the fence, their surfaces marked with countless dents and scratches. Several metal rods were secured along one wall, their purpose simple—to absorb elemental energy safely. In the center of the yard, a circular section of reinforced ground had been prepared for sparring.
Kosoku stood inside that circle now.
His breathing remained steady, and light sweat formed across his forehead as he focused on the opponent in front of him.
Gabriel Nozomi watched his son with quiet intensity. His tall frame remained relaxed, yet there was nothing casual about his presence. Years of fighting monsters within dangerous portals had sharpened his instincts into something closer to that of a predator. Even standing still, he radiated the calm pressure of a seasoned warrior.
"Again," Gabriel said.
Kosoku nodded.
He lowered his stance and shifted his feet into position.
To an outsider, the scene might have appeared strange—an experienced warrior preparing to spar with a five-year-old child. Yet there was nothing playful about the way Gabriel observed his son.
Kosoku moved first.
The boy dashed forward with surprising speed. His small body crossed the distance in a blink, and his fist shot toward Gabriel's chest.
But Gabriel was already gone, his body slipped aside with effortless precision, the movement so smooth it looked almost unreal, a finger tapped lightly against the back of Kosoku's neck.
"If this were a real fight," Gabriel said calmly, "you would already be dead."
Kosoku froze for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh. "I know, Dad."
Gabriel stepped away and folded his arms again. "Your reaction speed is improving," he continued. "But you hesitate before committing to an attack."
Kosoku rubbed the back of his neck. "That's because you move too fast."
Gabriel's lips curved into a faint smile.
"That's the point, you must act faster than your enemy."
Near the back door of the house, Alisa Nozomi watched the exchange quietly. A soft green glow occasionally flickered around her hands as she prepared healing mana in case the sparring became too rough.
Although Kosoku was only five years old, Gabriel had been training him for nearly a year. At first Alisa had worried about the intensity of the training but over time she had begun to notice something.
Kosoku was not merely talented. There was something else about him something unusual.
Kosoku stepped back into the circle and raised his fists again. "Again," he said.
Gabriel nodded once.
This time Gabriel moved first.
His body surged forward with frightening speed. To anyone watching from outside the yard, it would have looked as though he vanished.
Kosoku reacted immediately, a lightning flickered beneath his feet. A sharp crack echoed across the ground as he jumped sideways. Gabriel's punch cut through empty air, missing the boy by only a few centimeters.
Gabriel stopped.
For a moment he simply looked at his son, then he let out a quiet chuckle. "You're using lightning to boost your movement."
Kosoku scratched his cheek. "Yeah, just a little."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "Don't lie."
Kosoku shrugged.
Gabriel turned toward the row of metal rods along the wall. "Show me again."
And Kosoku followed him.
The rods had been placed there for one reason. They acted as conductors, allowing Kosoku to release elemental energy safely during training.
Kosoku raised his right hand and the mana stirred inside him, it was three different elements responded to his will, lightning, wind and water. They flowed through him like quiet currents beneath the surface of a river. Kosoku focused on one of them, lightning gathered around his fingers. A bright spark burst outward and struck one of the metal rods with a sharp metallic hum, the rod vibrated briefly before settling again.
Gabriel nodded slowly. "For someone your age, that level of control is absurd."
Kosoku lowered his hand"But it's still small and weak."
"And that's how it should be," Gabriel replied.
Kosoku blinked. "What do you mean?"
Gabriel crouched down so their eyes were level. "You have more potential than most warriors," he said.
Kosoku blinked again. "Ohhh."
"But potential attracts attention." Gabriel added.
Kosoku tilted his head. "Is that bad?"
Gabriel nodded. "Very." He pointed a finger at his son. "So its better for you to hide it."
Kosoku listened quietly.
"You struggle during fights," Gabriel continued. "You take hits, you look weak."
Kosoku nodded slowly.
"But in the end," Gabriel added with a small grin, "you win."
Kosoku stared at him for a moment, then a grin spread across his own face. "Okay Sir, I understand." He paused. "That actually sounds fun."
From the doorway, Alisa shook her head.
"You're teaching our son how to deceive people."
Gabriel shrugged. "I'm teaching him how to stay alive."
Kosoku glanced between them and laughed softly then he lifted his hand again, a lightning was formed around his finger but something strange happened.
Instead of scattering into random sparks, the electricity began to twist through the air. It curved and moved with unusual precision.
For a brief moment the lightning formed the faint outline of a small creature. A dragon made of lightning, Kosoku blinked and the shape vanished instantly. "What was that?that was strange."
Gabriel noticed the change in his expression. "What happened?"
Kosoku looked at his hand. "Uhmm, nothing."
But deep within his mind, something stirred.
A distant memory flickered, a throne hidden within shadows, a broken world beneath a dark sky and a name whispered through endless darkness.
Erebus.
The vision faded as quickly as it appeared.
Kosoku shook his head real quick.
Gabriel straightened. "That's enough for today."
Kosoku frowned. "Already?"
"You need rest."
Kosoku sighed dramatically. "You sound like Mom."
Alisa smiled. "That's because your father forgets you're still five."
Gabriel laughed quietly.
Kosoku walked toward the house, but before stepping inside he glanced back at the training yard. Lightning flickered softly around his fingertips again. This time the sparks moved more carefully and more controlled.
For now, Kosoku was only a five-year-old boy learning how to fight in the backyard of his home but one day the world would learn the name of the child standing there.
Kosoku Nozomi.