Tony raised an eyebrow, smirking. "Girls, huh? Come on, man. You disappear for three years, return with three god-tier beauties by your side, and expect us not to raise a brow?"
He nudged Steve playfully. "I'm calling it now—ten years from now, there'll be seven more around him. Spirit beasts, spirit masters, maybe even a goddess or two."
The others burst out laughing.
Natasha crossed her arms, smirking. "So you went off on some spirit cultivation pilgrimage… and came back a romantic legend."
Bruce chuckled. "At this point, forget rankings. We should start a betting pool on how many women Dave recruits by next year."
Dave sighed with a helpless smile as the teasing continued.
Shui Xinxue glanced sideways at him with narrowed eyes. "You didn't mention I'd be introduced in such company."
La Signora tilted her head, amused. "So this is the 'brotherhood' you spoke of?"
Dugu Yan just crossed her arms with a smug grin. "Playboy or not, he handled all of us better than half the instructors I've seen here."
Tony whistled. "Now that's a review."
Dave rubbed the back of his neck, unsure whether to laugh or apologize—but it was clear the group's reunion was just getting started.
As the laughter finally settled and the group began walking together toward the inner courtyard of Shrek Academy's Senior Division, Dave glanced around, observing the bustling students and new training facilities with faint nostalgia.
Then his expression turned thoughtful.
"By the way… what happened to Tang San?" Dave asked, his voice even but curious.
The group paused for a moment, and Tony let out a sigh, waving his hand dismissively. "Ah… that guy? He's long gone."
Bruce nodded. "Yeah, him and his so-called master—the 'Grandmaster' guy? They disappeared after stealing a bunch of defective soul guidance prototypes."
Shuri added while adjusting her gauntlet, "Nothing major, honestly. Just outdated or failed experiments we were planning to scrap anyway. But stealing is still stealing."
Dave raised a brow. "And they weren't punished?"
Natasha gave a half-shrug. "Normally, they'd be executed or imprisoned for theft and attempted sabotage of academy tech… but the Dean used to be friends with Yu Xiaogang. Some deep past connection. Out of pity, they were allowed to escape."
Steve's face was a mix of disdain and disappointment. "They're fugitives now. Posters went up last year across the Federation cities. Shrek Academy officially cut ties."
La Signora frowned faintly. "And yet you let them live? Despite the insult?"
Tony shrugged. "What can I say? Flander might be the Dean, but he's also a man with a soft spot for old ghosts. Besides, neither of them are threats anymore."
Dugu Yan crossed her arms. "Tang San lost his way. There was potential in him, once… but he tried to force power instead of earn it."
Shui Xinxue's tone was icier. "If we ever cross paths with them again… I won't show mercy."
He sighed. "I see. So that's how far they've fallen."
Tony clapped him on the back. "Forget them, man. You're back. That's what matters."
Dave chuckled lightly, then said with a raised brow, "Right… I hope you've made some armor for me too?"
Tony smirked. "Please. Do you even need to ask?"
With a wave of his hand, he turned and gestured for Dave to follow. "Come on, I'll show you what Shuri and I have been working on."
The two walked side by side through the academy's inner courtyard, eventually reaching a sleek, modern building integrated into the eastern wing of the campus—a structure that practically radiated energy. Clean steel edges, glowing soul-conductive panels, and reinforced mana shielding marked it as Shrek Techland's research division.
"Well, this is it," Tony said proudly. "Mixed-use workshop—mine and Shuri's combined chaos zone. We call it the Forge."
Dave's eyes widened slightly. "Looks more like a fortress than a workshop…"
"Good. That means the security enchantments are working," Shuri's voice chimed from inside as the doors slid open.
Dave's companions—La Signora, Shui Xinxue, Dugu Yan, and Meilin—trailed behind curiously, exchanging glances. None of them had ever seen anything quite blend of spirit tech and modern design.
As they stepped inside, the space came alive—holographic blueprints hovered in the air, mechanical arms shifted along ceiling rails, and multiple soul furnaces hummed with stable elemental resonance. In one corner, half-complete armor suits floated mid-air, while others were being fine-tuned by drone-like spirit tools.
Shuri tossed Dave a soul-linked bracelet. "This syncs with your spirit and battle rhythm. Just don't overload the core—we built it for speed and defense, not for one of your planet-shattering Destruction moves."
Tony added, "And before you ask, yes, the material is spirit-refined, triple-layered with obsidian-gold alloy. Enchanted by best inscriptions we could, and powered by a hybrid core I built using reactor tech and Spirit Bones. We call it: Aegis-Type Mk. X – Demonic Prince's Legacy."
Dave let out a low whistle as the bracelet hummed in his palm. "Now that… is beautiful."
"You haven't even seen what it can do yet," Tony said with a grin. "Welcome back, Demon Prince. Time to suit up."
He slipped the bracelet onto his wrist. Instantly, intricate lines of silver and crimson light traced up his arm like a living circuit, syncing with his pulse and spirit energy. A faint hum filled the chamber as the bracelet pulsed, recognizing its master.
"Initializing combat sync…" Shuri murmured from the console, fingers dancing across the translucent controls. "Spirit Bone core stable. Mana channels active. Preparing external deployment."
With a soft whir, the bracelet expanded into segmented plates, swirling around Dave's body like a storm of blades. In a flash of light, the armor assembled—obsidian-gold plates interlocked with infernal red tracings, pulsing faintly with destructive energy. A long, flared coat-like mantle flowed behind him, etched with soul runes and demonic sigils. A dark helm shaped like a dragon's snarl formed around his head but withdrew just enough to leave his face visible.
"Damn…" Bruce muttered from behind, watching with wide eyes. "That doesn't look like a hero's armor."
"That's because he's not just a hero anymore," Natasha said, arms folded. "That's the Demon Prince."
"Also," Tony added with a smirk, "it comes with a built-in Spirit Pulse reactor. Meaning his energy attacks are now twenty percent more concentrated and fifty percent more… destructive."
"Don't forget the flight boosters," Shuri chimed. "And the environmental shielding. That thing can take you from underwater trenches to lava fields without breaking a sweat."
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