The first light of dawn seeped through the dense canopy of Star Dou Forest, casting a muted glow over the clearing where the Shrek Academy team gathered. Mist curled around ancient tree trunks, coiling like ghostly serpents through the undergrowth. The air was heavy with expectation and the lingering echoes of recent battles—wounds of physical already heal while the spirit power far from the peak.
Li Wei remained in the rear, every sense stretched taut. His transformation earlier had taken more from him than he liked to admit; the wound at his side already heal after eating Oscar healing sausage but his soul power had not fully replenished. Yet his expression was calm, eyes scanning every rustle in the vines behind him. He refused to let anyone sneak up on them again.
Zhao Wuji gave the order in his deep, resonant voice. "Formation! Stick close. We break camp and move out."
Tang San led the vanguard among the student, the Blue Silver Grass at his feet quivering with latent energy. Beside him, Zhu Zhuqing's Hell Civet instincts flared as she noted the silence around them. No birdsong, no distant insect trills—only the hush of anticipation.
Ma Hongjun fell in beside Dai Mubai, their contrasting auras—flame and beast—complementing each other. Oscar and Ning Rongrong followed, the former clutching an unused recovery sausage, the latter murmuring quietly with her Pagoda. Xiao Wu hovered near Tang San's shoulder, her rabbit ears twitching at every crackling twig.
They moved swiftly, leaves crunching underfoot, the path gradually sloping upward toward the forest's border. Hope sparked in their chests—as they neared the clearing that marked the edge, they expected the barrier of thorns and vines to fall behind them, replaced by open sky.
But as the canopy thinned, the wind died away. A palpable stillness fell. Tang San halted, planting his feet firmly. "Something's here."
Zhu Zhuqing crouched beside him. "I sense someone or something. And it's waiting."
Li Wei paused, hand drifting to the Diendriver's grip. Despite his fatigue, his eyes blazed with focus. "Rear guard," he said quietly to Xiao Wu. "Stay alert."
Xiao Wu nodded, disappearing in a flicker of her Teleport skill to stand at his side. Neither spoke—there was no need.
The air shifted.
A subtle pressure—barely perceptible at first.
"…Did you feel that?" he asked, his voice low.
Li Wei nodded. The hairs on his arms stood up, a cold prickling sensation crawling down his spine. His spirit power, attuned to danger after countless battles, pulsed in warning.
"We're being watched."
Zhu Zhuqing vanished from sight without a word, her form melding into the shadows. Dai Mubai stepped forward protectively, shielding the support trio—Oscar, Ning Rongrong, and Ma Hongjun—behind him.
Even Zhao Wuji, at the front, paused. His eyes sharpened, scanning the surroundings. The buzzing forest sounds had dulled, as if nature itself held its breath.
A crackle of leaves, a gust of unnatural wind, then—
Boom!
The forest exploded into motion. Figures clad in deep crimson cloaks erupted from the canopy above, their movements swift and silent. They fell like falling stars, each wielding obsidian daggers that shimmered with a sinister luster.
"Ambush! Form up!" Tang San shouted, Blue Silver Grass erupting from beneath his feet.
Li Wei reacted instantly. His Diendriver move to materialized in his hand with a shimmer of blue light.
[KamenRide: Diend!]
His form flickered—transformed. Armored blue plates settled into place. The Diendriver shone on his hip, already primed with cards.
Two gunshots rang out. Two assassins mid-leap were sent crashing into the underbrush, their surprise met by precision force.
"Six of them—maybe more!" Li Wei shouted.
"No spirit beasts… just people?" Dai Mubai growled as his White Tiger spirit surged forth.
But that thought died quickly.
From the shadows behind the crimson attackers, a monstrous presence emerged—a towering mantis spirit beast, over four meters tall, with gleaming scythe-like forearms and compound eyes that glowed red. Spirit fluctuations radiated from its body—this one was no mere pawn.
"Correction," Li Wei muttered, raising his weapon again, "at least one beast."
"Split focus!" Tang San commanded. "Zhuqing, deal with the flankers. Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun—frontline. Rongrong, Oscar—support us. Li Wei, you're with me!"
Li Wei grinned beneath his helmet. "Gladly."
They moved in sync—an unspoken coordination born from battles fought side by side.
The crimson assassins were fast. Their movement resembled teleportation—blinking through the trees, warping left and right with some kind of agility-type martial spirit.
"Spirit fusion?" Li Wei guessed.
Tang San nodded. "Or a high-speed concealment system."
A streak of black flickered toward Oscar—too fast to dodge. But Li Wei had already raised his driver.
[AttackRide: CrossAttack!]
A beam opened midair—two silhouettes dropped from it: Kamen Riders Knight and Garren. The summoned Riders flanked Oscar, deflecting the incoming blow with synchronized slashes and shots.
"Thanks!" Oscar called, hurriedly creating a sausage.
Li Wei fired again—one crimson attacker fell back, clutching their side. Their mask shattered, revealing a youthful face—barely older than Li Wei himself.
"These aren't mercenaries," he muttered.
Tang San's vines lashed out, Blue Silver Grass entangling two others midair, but they immediately self-released with a burst of spirit power—clearly trained.
Zhao Wuji roared, his figure growing as the Vigorous Vajra Bear form overtook him. He slammed one assassin to the ground, dirt and dust flying.
The mantis beast shrieked.
Its wings buzzed violently, unleashing a sonic wave that distorted the air around it. Ma Hongjun's flame burst met it mid-air, but the shockwave disrupted his attack, sending him crashing back.
"I'll handle the bug!" Dai Mubai roared, entering White Tiger Vajra Transformation.
"You're not going alone," Li Wei replied, raising another card.
[BuffRide: Blade!]
A beam of light shot from his driver toward Dai Mubai, engulfing him.
The effect was immediate—Mubai's claw strikes gained new finesse, fluid like a master swordsman. He grinned, slashing at the mantis's scythes with unnatural sharpness.
Zhu Zhuqing reappeared behind two assassins, claws extended. One went down before he could even scream. The second blocked—but barely. Her golden eyes were merciless.
Amid the chaos, a dagger flew toward Ning Rongrong.
Li Wei moved without thinking.
[AttackRide: Barrier!]
A glowing shot flew from his driver, shielding her with a crackling energy wall just in time. The dagger shattered against it, sparks flying.
Ning Rongrong looked up, heart pounding. "Thank you…"
He nodded. "Stay behind Oscar."
Then it happened.
The mantis shrieked again—but this time, the cry had resonance. The forest trembled. More pressure flooded the area.
Tang San's eyes widened. "Something else is coming."
From the shadows beyond the treeline, four red lights appeared—eyes.
A low growl vibrated the ground.
"Another beast?" Li Wei asked.
"No," Zhao Wuji said grimly. "Something worse."
They were surrounded.