As the students filed out of the room Niski stood up yawning , his eyes drooping with exhaustion. "I'll see you guys tomorrow. I better get home and rest. Man, I'm so tired," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

Crinix nodded in understanding. "Wait up, Niski. Let's walk together."

The three of them strolled out of the building, enjoying the cool afternoon air. As they reached the entrance, they waved goodbye to each other, preparing to part ways.

But before they could take a step further, a loud voice yelled out, "Hey Niski, wait up!"

The three of them turned in unison, their eyes scanning the surrounding area to locate the source of the voice. It took them a few seconds to spot a figure approaching them - a guy with black, long hair and a white bandage wrapped around his forehead. He wore a long, black jacket that billowed behind him as he walked.

As he drew closer, Niski's eyes narrowed, his expression guarded. "Oh, Denji. It's you," he said, his voice laced with a hint of wariness.

Denji's face broke into a wide grin as he greeted Niski. "Hey, Niski! Wassup? Long time no see!"

But before Denji could take another step, Takahishi's face twisted in anger. His eyes blazed with fury as he glared at Denji. Without warning, Takahishi's fist shot out, connecting with Denji's right cheek with a loud thud.

Denji crashed to the ground, his back thudding against the pavement. Crinix and Niski stared at Takahishi in shock, their eyes wide with confusion.

"Takahishi, why did you do that?" Crinix asked, his voice laced with concern.

Takahishi's face remained twisted in anger as he glared at Denji. "Crinix, don't you recognize that guy? He's the one who nearly choked me out that day we fought Niski"

Crinix's eyes narrowed as he turned to gaze at Denji, who was still rubbing his cheek. "Oh yeah, I recognize his face. He was with Niski that day."

Denji slowly rose to his feet, his eyes fixed on Takahishi. "I must admit, that was a really good punch," he said, a hint of a smile playing on his lips.

Takahishi's face darkened, his fists clenched at his sides. "Oh yeah, I'd be happy to give you another one!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the evening air.

Denji's grin faltered, and he took a step back, his eyes darting nervously between Takahishi and Crinix. But then, his face broke into a wide smile once more. "Huh, I remember you guys! And you," he said, pointing at Takahishi, "you're the one who was crying that day "

Takahishi's face twisted in rage, his eyes blazing with fury. "You think that's funny, huh?" he shouted, his voice echoing through the air.

But Denji just kept laughing, his eyes gleaming with amusement. That was, until he caught Niski's gaze. Niski's eyes narrowed, his expression cold and menacing.

"Denji, shut up," Niski whispered, his voice low and deadly. "If I were you, I'd choose my words wisely, or the next words that come out of your mouth will get you killed."

Denji's grin faltered, and he took a step back, his eyes wide with fear. He knew that Niski wasn't bluffing. "I'm sorry, Niski. " he apologized, his voice trembling.

Niski's expression remained cold, his eyes glinting with a hint of warning. "Denji, You fool, I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

Denji's eyes darted nervously between Niski and Takahishi before he finally bowed his head in apology. "I'm sorry," he muttered, his voice barely audible.

Crinix and Takahishi exchanged a glance, their expressions guarded. "It wasn't much of a big deal," Crinix said finally, his voice neutral.

Takahishi nodded in agreement, his expression still wary. "Yeah, it's fine. We're cool."

But deep down, Takahishi didn't mean it. He still seethed with anger, his fists clenched at his sides.

Denji's face lit up with a wide grin as he raised his head. "I'm really grateful to both of you. I can see now why Niski chose you guys as friends."

Crinix's gaze snapped to Niski, his eyes narrowing into a piercing stare. "Is he a friend of yours?" he asked, his voice low and even, but with a hint of suspicion.

Niski's expression turned cold as he gazed at Denji. "Well, unlike you guys, Denji is just a guy who follows me around. That's all," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Denji's eyes sparkled with amusement as he chuckled. "Is that how you see me, Niski? To me you are a hero " he asked, scratching his head.

Takahishi's eyes narrowed, his expression skeptical. "He is your hero, Niski? You must be kidding, right?" he laughed.

Denji's face turned serious, his eyes locked onto Takahishi's. "No, I'm not. Niski really is my hero," he said, his voice filled with conviction.

Crinix and Takahishi exchanged a curious glance, their attention drawn to Denji. "He is your hero? What do you mean?" Takahishi asked, his voice laced with curiosity.

Denji's eyes seemed to glaze over, lost in thought. "Let me tell you why I say so. Maybe a story will explain it better," he said, his voice low and introspective.

As Denji began to speak, Crinix and Takahishi leaned in, their eyes fixed on him. "When I was a kid, I used to be in the same class as Niski. I was always bullied, and a lot of kids used to pick on me. You could say I was a loser, but all that changed one day," Denji said, his voice filled with a mix of emotions.

Takahishi's eyes widened, his curiosity piqued. "What happened? What changed?" he asked, his voice eager.

Denji's gaze drifted off, his eyes clouding over. "One day, I got into a fight with some bullies who used to bully me. But just as they were about to beat the crap out of me, that's when Niski showed up. And guess what he did?" Denji paused, a sly grin spreading across his face.

Crinix and Takahishi exchanged a curious glance, their eyes locked onto Denji's. "What did he do?" Takahishi asked, his voice filled with anticipation.

Denji's grin grew wider. "Niski walked towards them and grabbed one of the bullies' hands. He told him to get lost and pick on someone his own size. The bully tried to pull his hand off Niski's, but Niski gripped it tight and twisted it until it snapped and broke," Denji said, his voice filled with a mix of awe and admiration.

Takahishi's eyes widened, his face lit up with amusement. "Niski really did that?" he asked, his voice filled with laughter.

Denji nodded, his grin still plastered on his face. "Yeah, Niski is a kind person, though he hides that kind side of his. He was the first person to ever stand up for me without him, I would still be a weakling. That's why he's my hero, and he's the only person that I truly admire in this world," Denji said, his voice filled with sincerity.

Niski's expression turned cold, his eyes narrowing. "Denji," he whispered, his voice low and warning.

Denji's gaze locked onto Niski's, his expression unyielding. "I wouldn't call myself a kind person. I only interfered that day because those guys were making noise and they woke me up from my nap. So, I had to teach them a lesson," Niski said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Denji's grin faltered, but he quickly recovered. "Anyway, I gotta get going. It was great seeing you, Niski," he said, his voice filled with a mix of emotions.

As Denji turned to leave, he caught Crinix and Takahishi's gaze. "And it was great meeting you guys. See you around," he said, his voice filled with a hint of warmth.

With those words, Denji turned and walked away, leaving Crinix, Takahishi, and Niski staring after him.

As Denji disappeared behind the building, Takahishi turned to Crinix and murmured, "The Shadow Realm is filled with weird people. That Denji guy is one hell of a weird guy."

Niski yawned, stretching his arms over his head. "I've got to get going. I'll see you guys tomorrow." He waved goodbye and headed off, leaving Crinix and Takahishi to make their way back home.

As they walked, Takahishi couldn't shake off the feeling that Denji was trouble. "You know, Crinix, I don't trust that Denji guy. He's too smooth, too slick. I bet he's hiding something," Takahishi said, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Crinix raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think that?"

Takahishi snorted. "Just the way he talks, the way he acts. He's too perfect, too polished. I don't buy it."

Crinix chuckled. "Maybe you're just jealous because he's friends with Niski."

Takahishi scowled. "I'm not jealous. I just don't trust him, that's all."