douluo dalu: Dark Phoenix

The morning mist clung to the earth like a veil, cool and damp, as Ayanokoji stood at the edge of the village, a small cloth bag slung over his shoulder.

Today, he would leave.

The Junior Soul Master Academy awaited him.

He'd prepared for this moment—not with anticipation, but with the same quiet pragmatism that governed his every action. The academy would be his next step toward understanding the soul master world, toward power and control.

Still, as he looked back at the village—the modest houses, the smoke rising from early cooking fires—he felt a faint, unfamiliar tug.

Not attachment. Not sentiment.

Just… acknowledgment.

A place he had observed and learned from.

And now, he would leave it behind.

---

The journey to the Junior Soul Master Academy took half a day. The path wound through rolling fields and scattered forests, the distant silhouette of the academy growing larger as the sun climbed higher.

Ayanokoji walked steadily, alone, his mind calm, calculating.

When he finally arrived, the academy loomed before him—a collection of stone buildings with tiled roofs, surrounded by high walls. Not imposing, but orderly, efficient.

A place of learning.

Or so they claimed.

---

The Entrance Examination.

Ayanokoji approached the main gate, where a line of children and parents waited. The air was thick with nervous excitement, whispered conversations, and the occasional outburst of a child's impatience.

He observed silently, unnoticed, as he always preferred to be.

The process was straightforward—proof of spirit awakening, a basic assessment of soul power, and a brief physical evaluation.

When his turn came, a middle-aged instructor with sharp eyes and a clipboard looked him over.

"Name?"

"Ayanokoji."

"No surname?"

"Just Ayanokoji."

The instructor frowned slightly but said nothing, motioning for him to place his hand on a smooth crystal sphere.

Ayanokoji did so, feeling the faint hum of the assessment tool.

The crystal flared with a soft golden light—bright, steady, undeniable.

The instructor's eyes widened slightly. "Innate full soul power… You're a rare one."

Ayanokoji said nothing.

"Spirit?"

He hesitated. Revealing the Dark Phoenix so openly would draw attention—attention he didn't yet want.

"I have twin spirits," he said calmly.

That made the instructor pause, studying him with new interest.

"Let me see."

With a thought, Ayanokoji summoned only the Spirit Eyes.

A faint golden aura surrounded him, his irises glowing with an ethereal light, the air around him thick with energy.

"Spirit Eyes…" the instructor murmured. "A mental-type spirit… Exceptional. And the other?"

"Not now," Ayanokoji said quietly, his gaze steady, firm in its refusal.

The instructor hesitated, then nodded. "Very well. You've passed the entrance assessment. Welcome to the Junior Soul Master Academy."

---

The Academy Grounds.

The campus was larger than he'd expected. Open courtyards, stone walkways, and several wings dedicated to different forms of training—physical conditioning, martial arts, soul power cultivation, and academic instruction.

Ayanokoji took it all in, silently mapping the layout as he followed the flow of new students.

The dormitory was simple but clean—a shared room with two beds, a small desk, and a window overlooking the training field.

When he entered, another boy was already there, unpacking his belongings.

He turned, and Ayanokoji recognized him instantly.

Tang San.

The boy's calm, steady gaze met his, and for a brief moment, neither spoke.

Then Tang San smiled faintly. "Looks like we meet again."

Ayanokoji nodded. "It seems so."

There was no surprise in his voice, only quiet acknowledgment, as though this was inevitable.

In a way, it was.

---

The First Day.

The academy wasted no time.

After a brief orientation, the students were divided into groups based on their soul power and spirit types.

Ayanokoji was placed in the advanced group, though he quickly noticed that most of his peers viewed him with either curiosity or thinly veiled jealousy.

It didn't matter.

He wasn't here to make friends.

The first class was soul theory—a lecture on the nature of soul beasts and the process of obtaining soul rings.

Ayanokoji listened, silent and attentive, absorbing every detail.

But it wasn't the lecture that held his attention.

It was the unspoken dynamics in the room—the way some students subtly jockeyed for social standing, the way others quietly observed, waiting for their moment.

Human behavior was predictable.

Even here.

---

Combat Training.

In the afternoon, the real learning began.

The training ground was a wide, open field, ringed with wooden dummies and practice weapons.

"Pair up," the instructor barked. "Hand-to-hand combat. No spirit power."

Ayanokoji expected Tang San to approach him.

He did not.

Instead, Tang San paired with a tall, aggressive-looking boy who clearly thought himself superior.

Ayanokoji watched, curious.

The match was short.

Tang San's movements were fluid, precise—deflecting blows, exploiting openings, and ending the fight with a clean, efficient throw.

The aggressor hit the ground hard, gasping for breath.

Tang San stood over him, calm and composed, offering a hand to help him up.

Interesting.

Ayanokoji's own match was less eventful.

His opponent—a boy from a minor noble family—attacked with confidence but little skill.

Ayanokoji ended it in three moves.

The instructor took note.

So did the other students.

---

A Quiet Understanding.

That evening, back in their dormitory, Tang San spoke first.

"You didn't use your full strength today," he said quietly, sitting by the window, gazing out at the darkening sky.

"Neither did you," Ayanokoji replied, his tone neutral.

Tang San smiled slightly. "We're similar, aren't we?"

Ayanokoji didn't answer. But in the silence that followed, there was a mutual understanding.

Two boys, both different.

Both dangerous in their own ways.

---

The Path Forward.

The days at the Junior Soul Master Academy passed in a steady rhythm—classes, training, observation.

Ayanokoji adapted quickly, as he always did, learning not just the curriculum but the hidden currents beneath the surface.

He knew how to remain unseen when he chose to, how to become indispensable without standing in the light.

But Tang San… Tang San was different.

Not an obstacle.

Not yet.

But perhaps… a rival worth acknowledging.

For the first time in this new world, Ayanokoji felt the faint stirrings of something he hadn't felt before.

Not fear.

Not anticipation.

But possibility.

And in the quiet corners of his mind, the Dark Phoenix stirred, waiting.

The academy was just the beginning.