The moon hung high above the campfire as soft wind carried the smell of roasted mealies through the air. The team had just finished setting up camp past Piggs Peak, one step closer to the Ngwenya border. Everyone looked exhausted, but somehow… lighter.
Sbu sat apart from them, his eyes glowing faintly gold as he bent a thread of light between his fingers. The strand shimmered, flickered—and vanished.
He sighed. "Still not stable," he muttered.
Lungelo appeared beside him, sitting cross-legged in his usual relaxed way. "You know, for someone with divine blood, you stress too much," he teased, flicking a pebble into the fire.
Sbu smirked. "You try bending light, see if you still got jokes."
Lungelo chuckled softly. "Fair point. But hey, congratulations, mfana. The ancestors are proud—you've reached thirty percent mastery. That's no small feat."
Sbu blinked. "Wait… really?"
Lungelo nodded, then leaned closer, his playful tone fading. "They've sent a message. It's time you learned something new—something they crafted themselves."
The air shifted, heavy with unseen energy. "A new technique?" Sbu asked.
Lungelo's eyes glowed faintly white. "Not ancient, not stolen. This is ours. The ancestors studied the earth's qi, watched how it flows through life, through death. In the world beyond, they experimented—until they discovered a way to merge qi and light essence perfectly."
Sbu straightened. "You mean…"
"The Qi and Light Infusing Method," Lungelo said, his voice solemn now. "It allows your element to merge with your technique—reforging it. But it's dangerous. Mess up the balance, and your own light will tear you apart."
Sbu grinned faintly. "Sounds fun."
"Of course you'd say that," Lungelo sighed, shaking his head. "Alright, then. Let's begin."
For hours, Sbu practiced the motion of his old sword technique, Step of Dawn, channeling his qi in slow, careful waves. The moment he infused light into it, the blade would shimmer, hum—and then burst too bright, scattering sparks into the darkness.
"Control the flow, don't chase it!" Lungelo yelled as another blast of light exploded from the blade, scorching Sbu's forearm.
"Easy for you to say," Sbu hissed, gripping his arm. "You don't even have skin to burn."
Lungelo laughed. "Fair. But still, keep at it. Your body is divine now—it can handle more than you think."
The night stretched long, the camp silent except for the whisper of Sbu's blade slicing through the air. And then, just before dawn, something changed. The light didn't burst—it flowed, following the blade like a dancing stream.
"Step of Dawn, Reforged," Sbu whispered.
The technique was reborn.
---
By sunrise, they were on the move again. The dusty road led them to the Ngwenya border, now eerily quiet. The old customs buildings were cracked and empty, flags torn by the wind.
Sbu's squad moved cautiously, weapons ready. The silence was wrong—too still.
Then the first roar came.
From the treeline, Tier 1 beasts emerged—massive, scaled forms with crimson eyes. The soldiers tensed, but before anyone could move, Sbu stepped forward.
"Stand back. Let me handle this," he said calmly.
His knife glowed faintly as he dashed forward, a blur of movement. Each swing of his blade released a faint afterimage of golden light, cutting clean through the beasts. The Step of Dawn, Reforged moved like sunlight splitting darkness—swift, merciless, beautiful.
By the time the dust settled, five beasts lay still. The squad stared, wide-eyed and silent.
Finally, one of the soldiers laughed shakily. "Boss… remind me never to piss you off."
Sbu sheathed his knife and grinned. "Good idea."
They buried the beasts and continued their march into South Africa, the morning sun rising behind them.
As night fell again, Sbu sat on a rock overlooking the dim horizon. His blade glowed faintly beside him.
Lungelo appeared once more, arms crossed and smiling. "You're finally walking the path of light, mfana. But remember—light burns as much as it heals. Don't let it consume you."
Sbu nodded slowly, staring at his reflection in the blade. "Then I'll learn to master both."
The light flickered brighter, as if answering him.