Douluo Dalu Kamen Rider Ohma Zio

The world Xiao Wu found herself in was not one bound by earth or sky.

It was a realm of twilight dreams—where fractured mirrors floated in midair and pendulums swung with the rhythm of ticking clocks that had no faces. Spirit beasts made of mist flickered and faded at the corners of her vision, and faint symbols resembling Rider emblems spun slowly in the distant sky like stars in a strange constellation.

She stood barefoot upon an endless plane of water, each step creating ripples that shimmered in pale violet light.

"Where… am I?" she whispered.

No one answered.

But the silence wasn't empty. It listened.

From the fog, a figure emerged.

Tall, composed, and cloaked in shadowed armor—its mask was that of a Rider, sleek and unfamiliar. Not Diend. Not any she had seen before. The figure pulsed with an aura both alien and… oddly gentle. It bore the shape of Kamen Rider Build—but this was not the man, nor the warrior. It was the echo. The will of the Ride Watch now nested inside her.

The figure raised a hand and pointed—not at her, but past her.

Xiao Wu turned.

A doorway made of pure light floated behind her, etched in geometric lines that danced and rearranged themselves in endless sequence. Beyond it… she couldn't see clearly. Only the feeling of immense depth, possibility, and risk.

She stepped forward unconsciously, heart thudding.

But something inside her—an ancient part of her spirit—trembled. Not from fear.

From recognition.

Her hand reached toward the doorway.

Then—

A whisper filled the space, deep and resonant.

"You hold more than they know."

Xiao Wu's breath caught in her throat.

The figure took a step closer. The mist shifted around it like swirling equations, Rider emblems blinking in and out of existence.

"You are important to him. That is enough."

The light in the doorway flared—beckoning.

And just before her fingers touched its edge—

Gasp!

She jolted upright in her bed.

Sweat clung to her back, and her breathing came in shallow bursts. Outside her window, the morning sun had barely begun to rise, casting faint golden rays into her quiet room.

A tingling warmth spread across her chest.

She looked down.

There—just for a heartbeat—glowed a small golden-blue symbol, right above her heart. A Rider emblem, faint and ethereal.

Then—like it had never been—it vanished.

Her hand lingered over the spot, fingers lightly brushing the soft fabric of her sleepwear.

She didn't understand what had happened. But a strange feeling… remained. One of protection. And of connection.

Li Wei.

Her eyes widened slightly, and she quickly shook her head.

Why had she thought of him?

_____________________________

By the time morning fully came, the Shrek Academy courtyard was alive with soft chatter and the clatter of breakfast dishes.

Inside the dining hall, most of the students had already gathered. Plates of warm buns, vegetables, and congee lined the long table. Oscar was stuffing his mouth with three buns at once. Ma Hongjun yawned between bites.

Xiao Wu sat near the end of the table, unusually quiet.

Her fingers unconsciously brushed the spot on her chest again.

"Still tired?" Tang San asked, offering her a concerned glance.

"I'm fine," she replied, forcing a smile. "Just… had a weird dream, that's all."

She didn't elaborate.

Tang San studied her for a second, then nodded. But his eyes lingered longer than usual, thoughtful.

Just then, the door opened.

Li Wei entered.

He looked as though he'd been up all night—his skin slightly pale, his steps more deliberate. Yet there was something different about him. His aura was deeper, more compact. Condensed. Refined. Every step he took felt heavier, more certain.

Zhao Wuji, seated near the corner with a cup of tea, raised an eyebrow as he sensed the shift.

"Rank 46 already?" Dai Mubai muttered under his breath, turning to face Li Wei as he approached. "You were barely Rank 44 yesterday."

Tang San narrowed his eyes. "That's not normal cultivation speed."

"I had… a breakthrough," Li Wei replied simply, taking a seat without offering further detail. "Let's just say… an opportunity came."

He didn't look at anyone as he poured himself tea. His hand trembled slightly before he steadied it.

From across the table, Zhu Zhuqing watched him intently.

'Something happened, she thought. Not just a breakthrough. There's something deeper… And Xiao Wu'

Her gaze flicked toward the quiet girl seated near Tang San. For someone as expressive as Xiao Wu, her silence was unusual.

And then Zhu Zhuqing noticed something else.

The way Xiao Wu's eyes drifted—just briefly—toward Li Wei when she thought no one was watching. A subconscious motion, but one laced with emotion. Confusion. Curiosity. Warmth.

A small frown tugged at the corner of Zhu Zhuqing's lips. She wasn't jealous.

Not yet.

But she was wary.

Ning Rongrong noticed too.

She leaned across the table toward Li Wei, propping her chin on her palm. "You're being all mysterious again," she said playfully, though her tone carried a note of genuine curiosity. "You disappeared last night too. Was it more secret training, or did someone sneak out for a midnight date?"

Li Wei didn't even blink.

"No date," he said. "Just fate."

Ning Rongrong blinked, thrown off by the seriousness in his reply. She chuckled awkwardly but said no more.

From her seat, Xiao Wu's fingers clenched subtly beneath the table.

She hadn't told anyone about the figure in her dream. About the door. About the warmth that still lingered in her soul.

And for now… she wouldn't.

High above, unnoticed by all, Crocodile Douluo knelt outside the academy close to the waterfall, a curtain of wind billowing through his grey robes.

He sipped from a gourd of wine, golden eyes sharp as he peered down at the Shrek students.

Then he looked toward the girls side. Toward Xiao Wu.

"The artifact has chosen its path," he murmured, voice like gravel on stone. "Now we wait… and watch."

His gaze swept to the horizon.

"Because whatever comes next… will not be gentle."