douluo dalu: Dark Phoenix

Chapter 6: The Rabbit Girl and the Grandmaster

The sun rose over the Junior Soul Master Academy, casting long, golden rays across the training fields. The morning air was crisp, filled with the distant sounds of students sparring, laughing, and learning.

Ayanokoji sat alone at the edge of the practice ground, back against a tree, silently observing. He wasn't isolated by accident. He preferred it this way — detached, calculating, watching everything without being seen.

Yet, today… things would change.

---

A New Arrival.

The first sign of disturbance came during morning roll call.

As the instructor barked out names, a commotion near the academy gate drew everyone's attention.

A girl, around their age, with long, flowing black hair and bright, mischievous eyes, was standing at the entrance, hands on her hips, arguing animatedly with the gatekeeper.

She wore simple clothes, but there was a wild energy about her, like she didn't quite fit in the orderly environment of the academy.

"I said I'm here to enroll!" she insisted, stomping her foot with a surprising amount of force for someone so small.

The instructor, annoyed, finally waved her in. "Fine, fine! What's your name?"

"Xiao Wu!" she declared, grinning as though she'd just won a great battle.

As she walked into the courtyard, her eyes swept across the assembled students — and, for a brief moment, her gaze locked with Ayanokoji's.

There was something strange in that glance.

Not fear. Not curiosity.

Recognition?

No… Impossible.

Ayanokoji looked away first, but he made a mental note: Xiao Wu… A variable.

---

The Grandmaster's Arrival.

Later that day, the head instructor announced a surprise:

"You'll be evaluated by a special guest today. He's one of the most knowledgeable soul masters on the continent."

Whispers spread through the students like wildfire.

Then, the man arrived.

He wasn't imposing — tall but thin, dressed in simple robes, with a calm, analytical gaze that seemed to see through everyone.

Grandmaster.

Ayanokoji recognized the name from academy lectures — a theorist, not a powerful combatant, but with an unparalleled understanding of martial souls and soul evolution.

"Form lines," Grandmaster said, his voice soft but commanding.

One by one, students summoned their spirits, allowing him to assess them.

When it was Tang San's turn, Ayanokoji watched carefully.

Tang San summoned his Blue Silver Grass — a seemingly weak plant spirit — and yet, Ayanokoji sensed the underlying potential, the unusual vitality in it.

Grandmaster's gaze sharpened slightly as he examined Tang San, though he said nothing beyond a quiet "Interesting…"

Then it was Ayanokoji's turn.

He hesitated for a fraction of a second before summoning only his Spirit Eyes, letting their golden glow cast a faint light around him.

"Spirit Eyes," Grandmaster murmured, stepping closer, studying him with unsettling intensity. "Mental-type spirit… Rare. And… something else…"

Ayanokoji felt the weight of that gaze, the sense that Grandmaster could see more than most — that he suspected something.

But Ayanokoji's expression remained calm, impassive.

"Very rare," Grandmaster finally said, nodding slowly. "You have great potential."

Ayanokoji let the spirit dissolve, stepping back without a word.

---

Xiao Wu's Spirit .

When it was Xiao Wu's turn, she bounded forward with a grin, her playful energy a stark contrast to the solemn atmosphere.

With a quick motion, she summoned her spirit — a pair of soft, rabbit-like ears appearing atop her head, her aura light and agile.

"A Rabbit-type beast spirit," Grandmaster noted, watching her. "A combat-oriented agility spirit…"

Xiao Wu beamed. "Of course! I'm the best fighter here!"

A bold claim, but there was confidence in her eyes, and Ayanokoji recognized it instantly — the confidence of someone who knew their strength, not just someone who boasted.

Another variable.

---

The First Encounter with Grandmaster.

That afternoon, as the students were dismissed, Ayanokoji lingered behind.

He wasn't sure why — perhaps curiosity, perhaps instinct.

Grandmaster, noticing, approached him quietly.

"You didn't summon your second spirit," Grandmaster said, not a question, but a statement.

Ayanokoji met his gaze calmly. "No."

"I suspect you have your reasons."

"I do."

A brief silence. The breeze stirred the leaves around them.

"Be careful," Grandmaster said at last. "A twin spirit is a blessing, but also a burden. Power invites danger."

Ayanokoji didn't respond. He didn't need to.

But as Grandmaster walked away, Ayanokoji understood that the man wasn't fooled.

He knew there was more to Ayanokoji than he'd shown — and that meant Grandmaster was either a threat… or an asset.

Time would tell.

---

The Unexpected Friendship.

That evening, as Ayanokoji sat in the dormitory, reviewing what he'd learned, the door burst open without warning.

Xiao Wu.

She strolled in as though she owned the place, dropping her bag on the floor and flopping onto the empty bed with a sigh.

"I guess we're roommates now!" she declared cheerfully.

Ayanokoji blinked, taken aback for the first time in… well, a long time.

"This is a boys' dormitory," he pointed out, voice flat.

"Not anymore!" Xiao Wu grinned, clearly unconcerned.

There was a lightness to her presence — wild, chaotic, and yet… strangely grounding.

Tang San, returning from evening practice, paused in the doorway, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh… Xiao Wu? I think—"

"I'm staying here," she interrupted, giving Tang San a playful glare. "You two are fun. Better than those boring girls."

Ayanokoji exchanged a glance with Tang San, who shrugged helplessly.

And just like that… Xiao Wu had declared herself part of their world.

---

The Path Ahead.

As night fell, Ayanokoji sat by the window, gazing out over the darkened academy grounds, Xiao Wu snoring softly in her bed, Tang San quietly meditating.

It was strange.

For so long, he'd walked alone, by choice, by necessity.

But now…

There was Tang San — quiet, perceptive, a potential rival.

There was Xiao Wu — wild, untamed, a force of nature.

And there was Grandmaster — watching, understanding more than he let on.

The Junior Soul Master Academy was proving to be more than just a place of learning.

It was a test.

A game.

And Ayanokoji… would play to win.