Smoke drifted up from the stub of the incense stick, now nothing more than ash clinging to the edge of the stone basin.
The battlefield was silent—save for the heavy, rhythmic breathing of the battered examinees sprawled across the ground. Kazuki stood at its center, his grey eyes steady and unreadable, his stance firm despite the lingering exhaustion in his limbs.
Zhao Wuji rubbed his arm where Kazuki's redirected Vector Displacement had cracked his defense. The Spirit King looked at the boy in a new light—no longer as a potential student, but as something more dangerous. A variable. A weapon. Or perhaps, a storm in human skin.
"You're not just control-type," Zhao Wuji muttered under his breath. "You're something else entirely."
He didn't say it aloud, but his gaze said everything—caution, respect… and a spark of intrigue.
Then he turned away and raised his voice, calling toward the main building. "Oscar! Bring your sausages. They'll need them."
Footsteps echoed, and moments later, a lanky youth with a lazy smile jogged into view, pushing his long, messy brown hair from his eyes. He carried a small wooden tray filled with steaming spirit-enhanced sausages.
"Ah, the joy of healing via meat," Oscar quipped, though his eyes briefly widened at the devastation on the training ground. "Wow… did you guys fight a spirit beast or each other?"
Zhao Wuji didn't answer. He simply gestured to the injured.
Oscar began handing out his food. "Come on, everyone. It's not gourmet, but it'll get you back on your feet."
Tang San sat up slowly, cradling a bruised shoulder. He accepted the sausage, but his eyes never left Kazuki. Across the field, Xiao Wu sat in stunned silence, her pigtails drooping with fatigue. Zhu Zhuqing leaned against a tree, arms crossed, her expression unreadable, but her eyes fixated on Kazuki with something close to curiosity—perhaps even admiration.
Tang San couldn't stay quiet any longer. He walked over, gripping the half-eaten sausage in one hand.
"Kazuki," he said quietly. "Your soul power… your techniques… your martial soul. None of us knew you were capable of that."
Kazuki didn't respond right away. He simply looked at Tang San, gaze level.
"You never asked," Kazuki said plainly. "And I never needed to show."
Tang San's brows furrowed. "Still… it feels like you've been hiding something."
Kazuki gave a thin smile, devoid of warmth. "Everyone hides something, Tang San. Even you."
Xiao Wu flinched at that. Tang San said nothing.
Oscar walked over before things could become tense. "Alright, I've done my job. You're all in one piece again." He turned toward Dai Mubai, who had been silently watching the whole exchange from the steps of the main building.
"Take them to the dorms," Zhao Wuji instructed. "They earned it."
Dai Mubai nodded and stepped forward, addressing the group.
"New students, welcome to Shrek Academy—barely. You've passed the entrance exam. But remember: Shrek only takes monsters, not ordinary people. If you slack off, you'll be sent home without hesitation."
He turned and gestured for them to follow. "Girls' dorms are in the east wing. Boys to the west. Two per room."
They began moving, slow and quiet. The excitement of earlier had been replaced by something heavier—reflection. Everyone was processing what had just occurred, but none more than Kazuki.
As they walked, Ning Rongrong pulled up beside him.
"You were impressive," she said softly. "Your martial soul… I've never seen anything like it."
Kazuki didn't respond immediately. He glanced at her, then looked forward.
"It's not something I show lightly."
She didn't press, but the interest in her eyes remained.
Zhu Zhuqing walked a few paces behind them. She said nothing, but the subtle tilt of her head and the faint spark in her eyes made it clear—she had noticed everything. And she wanted to understand more.
Meanwhile, Tang San and Xiao Wu walked in silence. Kazuki's presence now felt heavier than it ever had before. Xiao Wu glanced back once, her expression confused—caught between awe and uncertainty.
Finally, they reached the dorms. Oscar pointed to the buildings and handed out room keys.
"You'll rest for today. Tomorrow morning, another senior will come test your mental toughness. Don't oversleep."
The group split. Doors closed. Lamps flickered out.
And Kazuki, once again, found himself alone with his thoughts.
He stared out the small dorm window toward the training ground. The scent of incense still lingered faintly in the air. Zhao Wuji had been strong—but Kazuki hadn't just survived. He had adapted. Controlled. Endured.
But this wasn't the end of anything. It was merely a checkpoint—a reminder.
He wasn't here to be accepted.
He was here to observe. To test.
To grow.
And one day soon… to choose.
Shrek was not his home.
And it never would be.