The morning sun spilled over the cracked highway as Sbu and his troops made their way toward Mbabane. Their boots thudded rhythmically against the tar, dust rising behind them like a ghost trail of everything they had survived.
Between shouts, laughter, and exhaustion, Sbu continued his light-bending training. His hands glowed faintly as he tried to wrap sunlight around a small stone Lungelo had told him to "make vanish."
> "You're bending light like you're kneading dough, mfana,"
Lungelo teased, his voice smooth and lazy in Sbu's head.
"Light doesn't like being bullied — treat it like a cat, not a dog."
"So I must meow at it now?" Sbu muttered, earning weird looks from the soldiers around him.
Every night had been the same — Lungelo mocking him, Sbu trying harder, and a small spark of progress. He was close to the ancestors' target, Light Element Level 1 – 29%, but still short.
His squad had grown too. They were no longer terrified recruits — they were disciplined fighters who could bring down Tier 0 beasts with ease. They respected Sbu not because of his power, but because he didn't act like he was better than them. He joked, trained, and bled beside them.
When they finally reached Mbabane, they found… nothing.
No soldiers. No civilians. No vehicles. Just empty tents, burnt-out fires, and half-eaten rations left behind.
> "They're gone…" Mandla said quietly.
"We're the last ones."
Sbu picked up a crumpled note near the command tent. The ink was smudged, but the words were still readable:
> To any remaining units:
We were forced to evacuate early.
South African, Lesotho, and Mozambique forces have regrouped near the border.
Head south immediately and try to catch up.
The beasts are closing in faster than expected.
– Commander M. Dlamini
Sbu read it twice, then sighed deeply.
> "Guess we got left behind."
Lungelo chuckled.
> "Left behind? Nah, think of it as a dramatic entrance delay. You're the main character — you have to arrive last, with style."
Sbu rolled his eyes, smiling faintly.
> "Sure, Lungelo. Next thing you'll tell me I need theme music."
The soldiers rested that night near the abandoned city. Sbu sat alone on a hill, looking at the faint flickering lights in the distance — the camps at the border.
The familiar system interface glowed faintly before him:
---
System Log: Status Report
Name: Sibusiso "Sbu" Dlamini
Tier: 1
Element: Light (Level 1 – 29%)
Divine Bloodline: Lightborne Lineage
Techniques:
– Flowing Edge Knife Arts (Military Style)
– Ancestral Sword Style: Radiant Vein (Locked Stage 2)
Attributes:
Strength: 46
Speed: 51
Qi Control: 63
Perception: 49
Experience (EXP): 950 / 10,000
(Next Tier Locked Until Requirements Are Met)
---
He closed the interface with a sigh.
> "We're almost there," he murmured.
"Let's just hope the others waited long enough."
Lungelo's voice came softer this time, without his usual teasing tone.
> "Don't worry, mfana. The ancestors are watching. You'll catch up — and when you do, the world will know Eswatini didn't bow."
The moonlight shimmered faintly around Sbu as if the Light itself was listening.
---