An Electric Heart

We walk from the kitchen out to the back yard. We can do a lot more in the back, as we have it set up for a full training yard. Our family has been known for great knights for generations. Only in recent generations had our family decided to not produce an Elemental Knight. I will bring my family the honour with that name.

"Remember your form, Kasu." Father nods as he picks a bankai from the rack.

"Of course." I say, gripping the handle of my own pick of bankai.

These bankai are wooden swords which are made from trees from the kingdom of the earth element. These pieces of wood will be able to be as strong as we can allow with our own chi. When a masterful knight uses these, they can still prove to be lethal. Cirros has had trade with Basila, the earth kingdom, for a long time now. For many kings reigns have passed since the last war. We only anticipate this time of peace to be ending. We find it hard to stay comfortable in this time of peace.

I ready myself, dragging my right foot behind me. I raise my bankai and smile. My father seems surprised by my expression.

"Someone seems confident." He smirks.

"You'll see. You're move first." I offer.

My father readies himself. He knows I don't offer first moves often. We usually end up doing a coin flip. He takes off towards me like a whirlwind, dust kicking in his trail.

"You got it." He says, voice coming from behind me.

He must think I'd forgotten how fast he is. That is how he focuses his chi. He isn't prepared. I turn with my bankai to block his strike and smile at him. His look of surprise is nothing short of amusing to me.

"Gotcha. Chi shockwave!" I speak and call my own chi form.

A pulse of force emits from my bankai and knocks my father back to his feet, sliding in the dirt of the training yard. He smiles and rubs his forehead.

"You're definitely getting better." He says to me.

"My father taught me." I smirk.

I charge at him. It's my turn! I dash to the side of him and flip myself upside down, aiming my palm at his chest as I am mid air. The look on his face in the moment is not one of surprise, but pride.

"Chi funnel!" I call as a burst of static reaches from my palm towards his chest.

"Nice try! Wind cull!" He spins and the static flies all around him.

I can't believe we are at the level now where my father can start to actually be getting a workout from training me. I feel my heart pulse a static throughout my body. I look at my father as he stops his spin and lunges for me as I am tilting to my feet.

"Nope!" I say, activating my Chi shockwave once more, lifting myself further into the air.

"For a knight with no elemental release, you certainly have learned to use the chi within you." Father says as he leaps for me with the bankai ready.

"That's just it, you gave me the last piece." I say.

I flip back and close my eyes. It's time to see if todays training paid off. I open my eyes, seeing various shades of blue, the darker spots are where more chi is stored, it seems. I smile, I think it worked.

"What happened to your eyes?" Father asks.

"Lightning Barrage!" I call out as my fists fill with electricity. "IT WORKS!" I shout immediately after seeing my hands sparking like loose wires.

"You.." Father says in surprise.

I swing my bankai and a lightning crescent fires towards him. He twists himself to manage going over it, flipping to his feet at the same time as myself. He smiles and I can see the chi in his hands building up. He's going to use an elemental technique of his own.

"I wouldn't do that. My eyes see what your doing." I say.

"What do you mean?" Father asks.

"I see the chi moving before you strike." I smile. "Its my own new form of technique. I hold massive amounts of energy in my eyes so I can see yours and everything elses." I explain.

"You designed that?" He seems utterly shocked.

"Yeah."

"You may just be an elemental genius in the making, Kasu." Father bows. " At this point, you are my equal when we fight. I can't ever go easy on you." He says, pride in his voice.

"Did I just hear a Hitori admit their kin is now at their skill level?" My mother's voice hits the training yard, holding a basket of little biscuits.

"She's ready." He says.

"Yes!" I pump my arm.

I release the energy from my eyes, my vision going back to normal. I feel like I could eat a horse the moment the energy stops flowing into the eyes like I had done. The king will see me as valuable indeed now.

"I don't think you're ready for battle with that new skill, but, it is indeed a powerful one." Father says. "Be cautious on when you use it in battle." He adds.

"Alright." I walk toward my mother.

I grab the basket from her and I can't help but feel like this even is too heavy. I sit and begin eating one biscuit after another. My father sits with me and does the same.

"Geez, you two must burn a lot of energy in those fights." My mother laughs.

"Well, we have to use all of our focus, energy and even so we are already working our bodies with a normal fight." I explain.

"That would make someone hungry." She replies.

I know my mother and sister always are worried we push ourselves too hard. We know our limits but, they care so we wouldn't dare argue it. The various villages all have different specific designations. We simply live in one of the most secure places of Cirros, thankfully.

"So you figured some of the elemental form. However, we need to really turn this up for you." My father smiles.

"Alright. So how do I activate the change on a bigger scale?" I ask.

That's the real secret. The Elemental Knights all know it. That secret is their strength. I will become a great honor to my family.