The afternoon heat had settled across the neighborhood, and the quiet backyard of the Nozomi residence felt warmer than it had earlier in the morning.
The dirt clearing where Kosoku trained now carried deeper marks from his movement drills. Several long lines cut through the soil where his feet had pushed off with lightning reinforcement, and faint scorch marks still lingered where sparks had struck the ground.
Kosoku stood near the center of the yard, breathing slowly while focusing on the mana flowing through his body. The discovery of lightning reinforcement had filled him with excitement, but Gabriel's warning still echoed in his mind.
Speed without control will destroy your body.
Kosoku raised his hands again and allowed lightning to gather along his arms. Instead of letting the energy explode outward like before, he guided it carefully through his muscles. The electricity flowed along his legs, his shoulders, and his back, forming a thin layer of energy that strengthened his movement.
He took a step forward.
The ground cracked slightly under the sudden burst of force.
Kosoku stopped immediately and frowned.
"That is still too much power," he muttered quietly.
Gabriel, who had been watching from the edge of the yard, nodded slightly.
"You are correct."
Kosoku turned toward him.
"I feel like the lightning wants to move faster than I do."
Gabriel walked closer and stood beside him.
"That is the nature of the element. Lightning is aggressive and impatient."
Kosoku looked down at his hands again as sparks flickered between his fingers.
"So how do I control something that always wants to move faster?"
Gabriel crouched down and drew a simple line in the dirt with a stick.
"Imagine this line is a river," he explained.
Kosoku leaned closer.
"If the river flows too quickly," Gabriel continued, "it floods the land around it and destroys everything in its path."
He then drew a second line beside the first one.
"But if the river flows with the right balance, it becomes a source of life instead of destruction."
Kosoku nodded slowly.
"So I have to slow the lightning down."
Gabriel shook his head slightly.
"No. You have to match its rhythm."
Kosoku blinked in confusion.
"Match its rhythm?"
Gabriel stood up and pointed toward Kosoku's chest.
"Your mana flows through your body like a heartbeat. If your lightning follows that rhythm, it will move with you instead of against you."
Kosoku took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He listened carefully. The quiet beat of his heart echoed in his ears.
Mana moved through his body like a calm current beneath the surface of a deep ocean.
Kosoku guided the lightning again.
This time he did not force the energy to spread instantly. Instead, he allowed it to follow the natural rhythm of his breathing and heartbeat.
The sparks formed again around his arms and legs. But this time they felt calmer. Kosoku opened his eyes and took a step forward. The movement felt smooth. No sudden burst of uncontrolled speed. No crack in the ground beneath his feet. Just a quiet surge of strength.
Kosoku smiled.
"That feels much better."
Gabriel nodded once.
"Now try moving faster."
Kosoku pushed forward.
His body moved quickly across the yard, but the lightning followed his motion instead of fighting it. Each step felt lighter, as if the energy itself was supporting his muscles.
Kosoku dashed from one side of the yard to the other.
When he finally stopped, his breathing remained steady.
"That worked."
Gabriel allowed a small smile to appear.
"You are learning quickly."
From the porch, Alisa watched the training with quiet pride. She had seen many warriors struggle for years to understand the balance between mana and physical movement, yet Kosoku seemed to grasp the concept within a single day.
However, she also knew something important. The boy still had two other elements inside him and those elements would require their own balance.
Alisa walked toward the yard and called out softly.
"Kosoku."
The boy turned toward her immediately.
"Yes, Mom?"
She stepped closer and placed a hand gently on his shoulder.
"You have focused on lightning in your all training."
Kosoku nodded.
"That is the easiest element for me."
Alisa smiled slightly.
"But you should not forget the others."
Kosoku blinked.
"You mean water and wind?"
"Yes."
Kosoku looked thoughtful.
"I know how to use them, but lightning always feels stronger."
Gabriel crossed his arms while listening.
"That is because lightning matches your combat style."
Kosoku tilted his head.
"So when should I use the other elements?"
Alisa answered calmly.
"Each element serves a different purpose."
She pointed toward the training yard.
"Lightning gives you speed and attack power."
Kosoku nodded.
"That part I understand."
Alisa raised a finger.
"Water controls the battlefield."
Kosoku's eyes widened slightly.
"Crowd control."
Alisa smiled.
"Exactly."
Then she raised another finger.
"And wind expands your range."
Kosoku thought about that carefully.
"So lightning is direct attack, water controls enemies, and wind spreads damage."
Gabriel nodded.
"That is the balance of your abilities."
"It looks like a typhoon— and if you become stronger, you would be a super typhoon." Alisa teased her son.
Kosoku looked down at his hands again.
Lightning flickered, a faint breeze moved around his fingers and a small drop of water formed in his palm.
The three elements responded differently.
But they all felt connected. Kosoku raised his head again.
"I want to try combining them someday."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
"That is a dangerous path if you rush."
Kosoku smiled confidently.
"I will master them one at a time."
Across the city, Vice Director Helena Aragon stood inside the monitoring chamber of the Warrior Association headquarters while reviewing another series of energy readings.
Her assistant stood beside her with a tablet.
"The energy pattern changed again," the assistant reported.
Helena studied the data carefully.
"How so?"
The assistant expanded the display.
"The lightning output stabilized."
Helena nodded slowly.
"That means he is adapting."
The assistant hesitated before speaking again.
"There are also traces of two other elements."
Helena's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Water and wind."
The assistant looked surprised.
"You already knew?"
Helena folded her arms.
"Yes."
Her gaze returned to the glowing marker representing the Nozomi residence.
"That child is not just a lightning user."
The assistant swallowed nervously.
"Three elements…"
Helena's voice remained calm.
She stared quietly at the screen for several seconds.
Then she spoke again.
"And he is only five years old."
"Did the director know about this?" The assistant asked.
"He was the one who told me, and he asked me to keep an eye on Nozomi's son."
The assistant went silent.
Back in the training yard, Kosoku stood quietly while watching lightning flicker across his hand once more.
The excitement in his eyes had not faded.
In fact, it had grown stronger because now he understood something important.
His power was not just lightning. It was balance and his training had only just begun.
—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—
Evening
As the sun slowly dipped toward the horizon, the training finally came to an end.
Kosoku walked back inside the house with tired steps, his body heavy from the long day of practice.
The smell of dinner greeted him immediately. His mood improved at once.
On the table were several dishes:
Steamed rice, sautéed egetables, pork tamarind stew and grilled fish.
Kosoku's eyes lit up instantly.
"Woah, no adobo?"
Alisa smiled warmly.
"Try something else."
Kosoku sat down quickly.
"This is good. No bitter melon as well." he laughed.
Gabriel sat beside him. Kosoku scooped rice and pork tamarind stew onto his plate.
"If recovery always tastes like this, I will train twice as hard tomorrow."
Alisa laughed softly.
"You might regret saying that."
Kosoku grinned.
"Probably."
But he kept eating happily anyway.
Later that evening, Kosoku stepped into the bathroom after finishing dinner. The bathtub had already been filled with cold water.
Several pieces of ice floated quietly on the surface.
Kosoku stared at it.
"Nice."
Gabriel leaned against the hallway wall.
"Recovery bath."
Kosoku sighed.
"I'm enjoying this too much."
He carefully stepped into the freezing water.
"AHH—!"
The cold shocked his muscles instantly. But after a moment, the soreness from the day's training slowly began to fade.
Kosoku leaned back and sighed.
"Alright."
"This helps me cool down."
Outside the bathroom, Gabriel smirked slightly. Another day of training had ended.
And tomorrow, the real work would begin again.