A few days passed, by the time training resumed, the morning sun had already climbed above the rooftops of Manila. Warm light poured across the Nozomi backyard, stretching long shadows over the dirt training circle. The ground inside the ring was marked by countless footprints—evidence of the hours Kosoku had already spent sparring.
Beyond the wooden fence, the neighborhood remained quiet. Leaves rustled softly in the trees as a light breeze drifted through the yard. Yet inside the training circle the air carried a different feeling—focused, tense, and heavy with expectation.
Kosoku stood at the center of the ring.
His small frame looked steady, though the stiffness in his shoulders betrayed how hard he was concentrating. Both hands were raised in a guarded stance. Every few seconds his fingers twitched slightly, as if resisting the urge to release something that wanted to escape.
Hide the mana.
The instruction had sounded simple when his mother explained it earlier. Doing it while standing still was manageable. Doing it while fighting was another story entirely.
Kosoku glanced down at his hands.
Normally faint sparks of lightning would dance across his fingertips like restless fireflies. Over the past year that phenomenon had become so familiar that he barely noticed it anymore.
Now his hands were completely still. The lightning had been pushed deeper inside his body, hidden beneath careful control.
The silence of that power felt strange, almost uncomfortable. It reminded him of trying to hold his breath without realizing how much air he actually needed.
Across the circle, Gabriel Nozomi watched quietly.
The assassin stood with his arms folded across his chest, his expression calm but attentive. His eyes tracked every small movement Kosoku made—how his weight shifted, how his feet pressed into the dirt, even the subtle rhythm of his breathing.
"You're thinking too much," Gabriel said.
Kosoku frowned. "No, I'm not, I'm concentrating."
Gabriel shook his head slowly. "That's not the same thing."
Kosoku released a quiet breath. "Easy for you to say, Dad."
Gabriel stepped forward. The moment his boots entered the ring, the atmosphere shifted. He didn't need to signal the beginning of the spar and Kosoku could feel it instantly.
Gabriel's presence alone carried the quiet pressure of someone who had survived countless battles.
Kosoku straightened his posture, Gabriel stopped a few steps away.
"Ready?" he asked calmly.
Kosoku nodded once. The attack came without warning.
Gabriel moved with the same frightening speed Kosoku had come to recognize. One moment he stood still, the next he was already inside striking range.
The punch came from the right, Kosoku reacted immediately, stepping sideways while raising his arm to intercept, Their forearms collided.
The impact sent a sharp jolt through Kosoku's arm, but he managed to hold his position.
Gabriel's second strike followed instantly.
This one aimed lower—toward Kosoku's ribs.
Kosoku pushed backward and twisted his body aside. Gabriel's fist sliced through the air where his side had been a moment earlier.
Dust rose as Kosoku landed however his breathing remained steady and something felt wrong.
Without letting his lightning flow naturally, every movement demanded more effort. His steps felt heavier. His reactions felt slower.
Gabriel noticed the change at once. "Your balance," he said calmly.
Kosoku shifted his footing. "Alright."
Gabriel attacked again but Kosoku dodged the first strike and answered with a quick punch aimed toward Gabriel's chest.
Gabriel blocked it effortlessly. Their arms clashed again with a sharp crack, Kosoku felt the difference in strength immediately.
Gabriel pushed his arm aside as though brushing away a branch. Two fingers then tapped lightly against Kosoku's forehead.
Kosoku staggered backward.
"That's three openings," Gabriel said.
Kosoku rubbed his forehead. "That doesn't count."
"It always counts."
Kosoku sighed and reset his stance. The next exchange began almost immediately.
Gabriel struck twice in rapid succession. Kosoku avoided the first attack and managed to block the second, though the force rattled his arms.
Instead of retreating again, Kosoku tried to slip around Gabriel's side.
Gabriel turned smoothly to face him. "That's predictable."
Kosoku groaned. "You say that every time."
"Because you keep doing it."
Kosoku paused, for a moment he stopped moving entirely.
Gabriel tilted his head slightly. "You're hesitating."
Kosoku shook his head. "No. I'm watching."
Gabriel stepped forward again, the next strike came fast and direct but this time Kosoku didn't retreat. Instead he ducked under the attack and drove forward, pushing his shoulder into Gabriel's center of balance.
For the first time that morning—Gabriel took a step backward.
Kosoku's eyes widened. "Yes, I did it!"
Gabriel's smirk returned instantly. "Don't celebrate too early if your enemy is still standing in front of you."
His hand shot forward. "Don't underestimate them; instead, watch their movements."
Kosoku barely raised his guard in time. The impact knocked him off balance and sent him tumbling across the dirt, he landed flat on his back, the bright blue sky filled his vision.
Gabriel walked over and looked down at him. "Haha, Still celebrating?"
Kosoku groaned and sat up. "..You didn't have to hit me that hard."
Gabriel shrugged. "But you're alive! you are tough, buddy."
Kosoku brushed dirt from his shirt and stood again. Near the porch, Alisa had been watching the entire exchange and her arms were folded, but her calm gaze followed every detail of the spar.
"Stop for a moment," she said. Both of them turned toward her.
Kosoku walked closer. "What happened?"
Alisa knelt slightly so they stood eye level.
"You lost control halfway through the fight."
Kosoku blinked. "I did?"
She nodded. "Your lightning almost leaked out again."
Kosoku glanced at his hands, tiny sparks flickered across his fingertips before fading away. He hadn't even noticed.
"That's the problem," Alisa said gently.
Kosoku sighed. "So I have to hide it even during a fight?"
"Yes."
Gabriel leaned against the fence again. "That's how assassins survive."
Kosoku tilted his head. "You mean hiding their mana?"
Gabriel nodded. "If your opponent senses your power before you move, you lose the element of surprise."
Kosoku thought about that. "So.. it's about hiding your real strength."
Gabriel smirked. "Exactly! the more practice and training you do, the more you will master it."
Kosoku walked back toward the center of the ring and he closed his eyes briefly and focused inward.
Lightning, wind and water.
Three separate currents flowed through him.
Instead of pushing them outward, he guided them deeper, letting the energy settle quietly beneath the surface.
Like a lake with no ripples, like a strong typhoon with no reaction. When Kosoku opened his eyes again, the air around him felt completely still.
No sparks flickered, no pressure leaked outward, nothing revealed what lay beneath.
Gabriel watched carefully. "Impressive."
Kosoku raised his fists again. "Hey Dad—how about we stop talking and go for round two?"
Gabriel pushed away from the fence. "Now you're talking like a grow man."
But this time Kosoku didn't rush forward, instead he stepped sideways and began circling slowly.
Gabriel noticed immediately. "You're adapting."
Kosoku grinned. "You told me to."
Gabriel chuckled softly. "Good boy."
The next clash began but this time—Kosoku was no longer fighting blind.