The days started to blend together — training by day, sword practice by night.
Every morning, Sbu jogged the cracked streets of Mbabane, passed the shuttered shops, and went straight to the sword school.
The instructor, Mr. Dlamini, had stopped giving speeches. He simply pointed at the track or the wooden dummies, and everyone got to work.
Even the jokes had dried up.
Everyone knew what was happening outside their borders.
On the far wall, a small TV flickered with constant breaking news.
> 🌍 Tier 1 Beast in North Africa Still Advancing
💣 World Military Coalition Mobilized
🕊️ South African Army Begins Regional Readiness Plans
The footage showed the beast's body glowing with unnatural power as fighter jets swooped in. Explosions lit up the desert.
Then came the sound of missiles — hundreds of them.
The camera went white.
When the feed came back, the monster was gone.
A cheer rose in the training hall — brief, uncertain.
Mr. Dlamini muttered, "Maybe we still stand a chance."
Sbu didn't cheer. Something about it felt… too easy.
Lungelo's voice rumbled in his mind. "One beast down doesn't mean peace, cub. When you kill the alpha, the pack doesn't vanish — it scatters."
Sbu frowned. "You think more are coming?"
"I don't think, I know."
---
That night, Sbu lay on the orphanage rooftop, wooden sword across his lap. The moonlight was soft, silver — the kind of calm that felt fake in a world like this.
Lungelo appeared beside him, golden mane faintly glowing.
"Alright," Sbu sighed, "what's the next move? I can finally do the Step of Dawn without falling over."
"Good. Time for the second form — 'Claw of the Horizon.' It channels qi through motion, turning speed into strike force."
"Sounds dangerous."
"It is. That's why it works."
The lion demonstrated in illusion — a swirl of light forming a sweeping slash that carried energy far beyond its edge.
Sbu mimicked the movement slowly, qi shimmering faintly around his blade.
Each night, he trained until dawn, his swings slicing through air like whispers.
And with every move, his control grew sharper.
---
A week later, the world learned the truth of Lungelo's warning.
> ⚠️ THOUSANDS OF TIER 0 BEASTS SPAWN WORLDWIDE
🇿🇦 Southern Africa Reports First Wave
🏛️ Emergency Recruitment Announced in Eswatini
Sbu's phone buzzed with the government message:
> "All males aged 16 and above, and females 18 and above, must report for mandatory defense training. Failure to comply will result in arrest."
He stared at it for a long time.
The orphanage was tense that night. The younger kids cried, and the older ones sat in silence, scrolling through endless reports of towns being destroyed in hours.
Sbu exhaled slowly. "It's happening here now."
"Then it's time," Lungelo said simply. "Training in the school will soon end. But your real training is about to begin."
---