Three months had passed since the birth of Kosoku Roche Volkov Nozomi.
Life inside the Nozomi household had gradually settled into a quiet and steady rhythm. Days moved calmly between feeding, sleeping, and the gentle routines that followed the care of a newborn child. Yet beyond the walls of their home, the world remained anything but peaceful.
Across the Philippines, portals continued to appear without warning.
Some of them were small disturbances, unstable rifts that produced weak monsters before collapsing quickly. Those incidents were usually handled by local warrior squads stationed nearby. Others, however, opened wider and remained active longer, releasing creatures powerful enough to threaten entire cities. When those appeared, elite warriors were dispatched immediately.
Humanity had learned to survive alongside these portals but no one truly understood where they came from. Every portal incident, every monster elimination, and every warrior deployment was overseen by a single organization.
The Philippine Warrior Association.
The Association formed the backbone of the nation's defense against supernatural threats. It registered every licensed warrior in the country, conducted ranking evaluations, and assembled strike teams whenever portals emerged.
Its headquarters stood in the heart of Manila.
The building dominated the surrounding skyline. Reinforced steel and mirrored glass formed a massive structure that resembled a military fortress more than an office complex. Heavy security gates guarded the property, and armed personnel monitored every entrance.
Inside the headquarters, activity never truly stopped.
Warriors moved through the corridors carrying mission reports from recent operations. Staff members sat before rows of glowing monitors tracking portal activity across the entire archipelago. Digital maps displayed blinking indicators that revealed where portals had appeared and which teams were already responding.
For the Warrior Association, the country never slept and among the many warriors who served inside that building, one name carried particular weight.
Gabriel Nozomi.
That afternoon several high-ranking warriors had gathered inside a meeting room on one of the upper floors. The space was quiet except for the faint hum of electronic displays projecting maps across the walls.
A circular table occupied the center of the room, surrounded by experienced fighters who had spent years battling monsters beyond the portals.
Victor Navarro leaned comfortably back in his chair with his arms resting behind his head. When the door opened, a grin spread across his face.
"Bro, you're late."
Gabriel stepped into the room without the slightest sign of concern.
"Well you started early," he replied.
Victor chuckled. "Some of us arrive on time."
A few of the warriors around the table laughed quietly.
Victor Navarro was widely respected inside the Association. As an S-Rank assassin who wielded lightning-based abilities, his speed in combat bordered on terrifying. Few warriors could even follow his movements once he fully engaged in battle.
Among those few was Gabriel Cruz.
The two men had spent years competing against each other, their rivalry known across the Association. Despite that rivalry, they remained close friends.
Across the table sat several other well-known warriors. John Carlo Fernandez, an S-Rank mage adjusted his glasses as he looked toward Gabriel.
"The meeting only started a few minutes ago," he said calmly.
Beside him, Michael Santos nodded, S-Rank marksman. "We're reviewing the portal surge reported in the southern region."
Gabriel walked around the table and took a seat. "What rank are we expecting?"
Michael tapped the tablet in front of him before answering. "S-Rank Portal possibility."
The mood in the room shifted slightly.
S-Rank portals were rare and extremely dangerous. If left unchecked, the monsters emerging from such a portal could wipe out entire districts before containment teams arrived.
Victor leaned forward and rested his arms on the table. "The Association wants to assemble a strike team before the portal stabilizes."
Gabriel nodded once. "That's the smart move."
John Carlo activated a control panel beside him. One of the wall screens brightened, displaying a detailed digital map of the Philippines. Red markers appeared across several regions.
"These are the portal incidents reported during the past month," John Carlo explained. "The number has increased compared to last year."
Victor exhaled slowly. "Great, that means more work."
Michael glanced toward Gabriel. "What do you think?"
Gabriel studied the map quietly for a moment. "No pattern yet or sign," he said at last.
John Carlo nodded. "That's what concerns us."
Silence settled across the room then Victor leaned back again and glanced toward Gabriel. "You're thinking about the kid."
Gabriel raised an eyebrow.
Victor grinned. "So, how's fatherhood treating you?"
Gabriel shrugged. "I would say, quiet?" Michael chuckled. "Man that's not what I heard." Gabriel looked at him. "And what did you hear?"
Michael leaned forward slightly. "That your son barely cries."
Victor laughed. "That's suspicious bro."
Several warriors around the table smiled at the remark. Babies crying constantly was considered normal, a baby who rarely cried was something else entirely.
Gabriel simply folded his arms without responding, though his thoughts had already drifted elsewhere back to the small child sleeping peacefully in their house.
—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—
Across the city, sunlight filled the living room of the Nozomi household. Kosoku lay on the soft carpet surrounded by several colorful toys.
Most infants his age grabbed objects randomly, throwing them aside without much thought. Kosoku behaved differently.
He studied them.
His tiny fingers pushed a toy ball slowly across the carpet. The ball rolled forward for a moment before he stopped it with his hand.
Then he pushed it again, the motion repeated several times. Each movement appeared deliberate. Almost like an experiment.
From the nearby sofa, Alisa watched him carefully. "He's doing it again," she murmured softly.
Kosoku pushed the ball forward then he stopped it, then rolled it back again. Alisa stood and walked toward him before kneeling beside the carpet.
"Kosoku."
The baby immediately turned toward her voice. His ocean-blue eyes fixed on her face.
She smiled gently. "You understand me, don't you?"
Kosoku blinked slowly then he lifted his small hand, a faint spark flickered across his fingers, an element, lightning. The spark vanished less than a second later.
Alisa sighed quietly. "That's the third time today, baby."
She placed her hand gently on his chest, her healer senses activated instinctively. Mana flowed within the child's body. It was calm and stable but undeniably powerful. Her nature-based abilities allowed her to feel it clearly.
"It's increasing again," she whispered.
Kosoku blinked again then something else happened. The curtains beside the window shifted slightly a breeze moved through the room and Alisa looked toward the window but it remained closed. Slowly she turned back to her son.
"You're going to give your father a heart attack one day."
Kosoku stared up toward the ceiling fan his tiny fingers moved gently through the air.
The breeze returned briefly then it disappeared. A moment later the baby yawned his blue eyes closed. Within seconds he had fallen asleep.
Alisa smiled softly. "You're already exhausting your mana."
She lifted him carefully into her arms and kissed his forehead before carrying him into his room. After placing him gently inside the crib, she stepped back and watched him sleep.
Kosoku rested peacefully. Yet deep inside his mind, something stirred. Fragments of memories appeared again, a massive palace hall. Kings seated upon towering thrones. Armored warriors standing in silent formation and above an ancient platform floated a glowing crystal heart.
The Astral Aegis Core.
A voice echoed across the chamber. "Did you take the Core?" Another voice answered calmly. "Yes, I took it."
Cold chains closed around his wrists and the Darkness followed. Kosoku shifted slightly in his sleep then the memory vanished once more.
—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—0—
Back at the Warrior Association headquarters, the meeting had ended. Victor and Gabriel walked side by side through a long corridor toward the elevators.
Victor stretched his arms. "Another portal mission tomorrow."
Gabriel nodded. "You ready?"
Victor smirked. "I'm always ready."
They stopped in front of the elevator doors.
Victor glanced sideways. "So when are you bringing the kid to visit?"
Gabriel frowned slightly. "Visit?"
"The Association," Victor replied casually. "Everyone wants to see the legendary Gabriel Nozomi as a father."
Gabriel shook his head. "Not yet."
Victor raised an eyebrow. "Not yet? Are you being protective?"
Gabriel didn't answer. His thoughts returned to what he had seen earlier, A Lightning and Wind element extremely rare for a newborn baby.
Mana that should not exist inside a newborn. Not yet, it was too early, it was too dangerous.
The elevator doors opened. Victor stepped inside. "You know," he said casually, "children of warriors tend to awaken their abilities early."
Gabriel entered after him, Victor leaned against the wall. "But if your kid ends up stronger than you.." A grin appeared on his face. "Or stronger than all of us.."
"That would be interesting." The elevator doors closed.
Far away, inside a quiet home in Manila, a small baby slept peacefully. He had no idea that the power growing within him would one day surpass every warrior on Earth.
And when that day arrived....
Even the Warrior Association might not be able to control it.