The wind whispered across the high cliffs of Mount Raizen, carrying the scent of incense and warm stone. At the temple's summit, Yuto stood still, his hands trembling slightly as the heat of morning rose around him. Scars from the last battle crossed his arms, but inside burned something deeper — a question that refused to fade.
Why had Master Yuzi said that the Sun Power was waiting for him?
Inside the temple, golden lanterns glowed like captured suns. Master Yuzi sat cross-legged before a massive altar carved with rays of light. Upon it rested a single, crimson-bound book, its pages glowing faintly even without flame.
When Yuto stepped forward, Yuzi opened his eyes.
"This, Yuto, is The Legend of Yoko," he said. "The record of the last Sun Warrior — the one who walked inside the sun and returned as its flame."
Yuto's breath caught. "The first Sun Power user?"
Yuzi nodded. "Yes. The one who gave life to all other elements. But his gift burned him from within. Since his fall, no one has dared touch the sun's heart… until now."
Yuto bowed deeply. "Then let me try, Master. Let me earn it."
A faint smile crossed Yuzi's face. "You may try. But to awaken the Sun Power, you must first learn the Sun Breath — the rhythm that fuels it."
The temple courtyard was silent except for the rustle of hot wind. Yuto stood in the center, eyes closed, while Master Yuzi paced around him, his staff tapping the ground.
"Fire Breath is destruction," Yuzi said. "But Sun Breath — it is creation. It must burn and heal at the same time."
He stopped behind Yuto.
"Inhale the light. Exhale the shadow. Do not breathe the air — breathe the world."
Yuto obeyed.
He inhaled slowly, drawing warmth into his chest. The air shimmered around him. He felt his lungs expand, his ribs creak, his veins ignite. Heat flooded his body like molten gold.
But when he exhaled, the energy backfired. His knees buckled, and he fell, gasping. Smoke curled from his lips.
Yuzi didn't move. "Again."
Yuto forced himself upright, drenched in sweat. Again he inhaled — slower, deeper. The sunlight around him bent toward his body, pulled by unseen gravity. His blood pulsed with light. Pain burned through every nerve, but he kept breathing, matching Yuzi's rhythm.
The master's voice echoed like a mantra.
"The sun's breath is not for power. It is for balance. Control the light — or it will consume you."
Hours passed. The stone floor beneath Yuto's feet began to crack from the heat. His body steamed, his vision blurred, but his breathing stayed steady.
When the last ray of sunlight dipped behind the horizon, Yuzi finally raised his hand. "Enough."
Yuto collapsed, steam rising from his shoulders. His heartbeat throbbed with warmth, but it no longer hurt.
Yuzi looked down, eyes approving.
"You've done it. You took your first step toward the Sun. That rhythm you feel inside — never lose it. It will carry you through every flame to come."
Later that night, when the stars began to shimmer, Yuzi placed the ancient book before him. "Now that you can breathe as the Sun does, you are ready to read."
Yuto knelt, touching the glowing cover. The warmth felt alive. The letters glowed faintly as he opened it.
"When the skies turned black and demons swallowed the dawn, one man stood against the dark. His name was Yoko — the Dawnbringer."
The story told of a warrior who burned his own fear to fuel light. Yuto read every line until his eyes stung — and then the air around the book began to hum.
Suddenly, golden light exploded from the pages. The temple trembled.
Yuto stumbled back. "Master! The book—!"
"The spirit of Yoko is testing you," Yuzi said calmly. "Stand your ground, Yuto. The sun itself is watching."
From the golden blaze rose a figure of pure light — a warrior in radiant armor. His voice rolled through the chamber like thunder.
"I am Yoko. Bearer of the First Light. Show me that you can hold my flame."
Yuto's katana burst into red fire. "Then let's see if your legend can still burn!"
They clashed — steel against sunlight. Each strike shattered the ground, each spark brighter than lightning. Yuto's flames crumbled before Yoko's brilliance.
He dropped to one knee, panting. "He's… too strong."
"Remember your breath!" Yuzi shouted. "Breathe, Yuto — breathe as the Sun does!"
Yuto inhaled — slow, balanced, pure. The world slowed. His heartbeat matched the rhythm of the earth and sky.
He whispered, "Sun Power — First Technique: Dawn Pulse!"
His body blazed with golden light, and his blade struck forward like sunrise breaking through the night. The explosion of light engulfed Yoko's form.
When the glow faded, Yuto stood tall, chest heaving, surrounded by shimmering air. The warrior of light smiled faintly before fading into sparks.
"You have taken the first step, child of flame. Rise beyond me."
The temple fell silent again.
When Yuto woke, he found himself lying on the temple floor, Yuzi kneeling beside him with pride in his eyes.
"You lived," Yuzi said softly. "The first to survive the trial of Yoko's flame. Now your real journey begins."
From that day forward, every sunrise brought new torment — and new strength.
Yuto practiced his breathing under waterfalls, on cliffs, even inside burning furnaces Yuzi forged from sunlight itself.
Each day began with the same ritual: inhale the warmth, exhale the darkness, let the light fill the blood.
As his mastery grew, so did his power. He learned to step between rays of light, to cloak himself in gold, to move faster than his own shadow.
By the seventh day, Yuto stood on the edge of the temple roof, facing the blinding noon sun. Yuzi's voice came from behind him.
"Move with the sun's rhythm. Not ahead of it. Not behind it."
Yuto nodded, his breathing calm. He focused until his body shimmered. The world around him slowed — even the wind seemed to pause.
He whispered, "Sun Power — Second Technique: Solar Step."
He vanished.
Golden streaks cut across the air, and before Yuzi could blink, Yuto stood behind him, blade sheathed.
Yuzi smiled slightly. "Good. The sun does not rush. It simply shines — and everything follows."
Weeks passed. The time came for Yuto's final trial. Deep beneath the temple burned a sphere of golden fire — the Heart of the Sun.
"To wield true Sun Power," Yuzi said, "you must walk through that flame. It will destroy you… unless you accept what you are."
Without hesitation, Yuto stepped inside.
Pain like molten metal tore through his veins, but he remembered his breathing. The rhythm anchored him as visions flooded his mind — his sister's laughter, his friends' trust, Yuzi's calm voice.
He roared, "I burn not for destruction — but for life!"
The flames shifted from red to radiant gold. The sphere exploded, filling the cavern with light.
When the fire cleared, Yuto stood tall — his eyes glowing like twin suns, his aura steady and warm.
Yuzi approached, pride gleaming in his gaze.
"You've done it, Yuto. You've mastered the Sun's Breath — and awakened the Sun Power: Third Technique — Solar Heart."
That night, the world itself seemed brighter. The first dawn after Yuto's awakening spread golden light farther than ever before, painting the clouds in divine hues.
As they watched the sunrise together, Yuto bowed deeply. "Master… thank you. You gave me more than power — you gave me purpose."
Yuzi's voice was soft. "No, Yuto. You gave it to yourself. The sun shines because it must. You shine because you choose to."
The wind lifted the edges of their robes as the new day began.
Yuto's golden eyes reflected the sky — steady, alive, unbroken.
The Sun Warrior had returned.