As they stepped out of the academy building, a loud shout pierced the air. "Hey, fools! Over here!" Takahishi's heart skipped a beat, his pulse racing with anticipation. He exchanged a wary glance with Crinix, both of them thinking the same thing: Niski.
But as they scanned the surrounding area, their eyes landed on a familiar figure waving at them. Takahishi let out a sigh of relief as he recognized Shinro. "Man, you scared the hell out of me! Don't ever shout at us like that!" Takahishi snarled, still trying to calm his racing heart.
Shinro looked at him with a mixture of confusion and amusement. "What's wrong with you? Can't handle a little surprise?"
Takahishi shook his head, still grumbling under his breath. "What are you even doing here, Shinro?"
Shinro's expression turned serious. "Just follow me."
Without another word, Shinro turned and walked away, expecting Crinix and Takahishi to follow. They trailed behind him, curiosity getting the better of them.
After a few minutes of walking, they arrived at a secluded forest area that seemed to be a training ground. A practice doll and a punching bag hung from a tree, and the air was thick with the scent of sweat and earth.
Crinix and Takahishi exchanged a confused glance. "Shinro, what are we doing here?" Takahishi asked, his voice laced with skepticism.
Shinro turned to face them, a fierce glint in his eye. "I figured it would take too long for you to learn anything at the Hunter Academy, so I decided to train you myself."
Without warning, Shinro charged at them, his fists clenched. "Come at me! I want to see if you've got any physical strength!"
Takahishi stumbled backward, his eyes wide with alarm. "Ahh, physical strength? I don't know if that's a good idea, Shinro. That incantation teacher told us to rest, so—"
But before Takahishi could finish, Shinro landed a solid punch on his left cheek. Takahishi's head snapped back, his eyes watering from the impact.
Shinro's fists clenched, his eyes blazing with intensity as he charged at Takahishi. Takahishi ducked just in time, avoiding the powerful punch by a hair's breadth.
"What the hell are you doing?" Takahishi shouted, rubbing his cheek " That hurt man" he cried
Undeterred, Shinro unleashed another flurry of punches, one of which landed squarely on Takahishi's left cheek.
Shinro didn't relent, pivoting on his heel to face Crinix. He threw a series of rapid-fire punches, but Crinix dodged each one with ease, his movements fluid and calculated.
Crinix smiled, a fierce glint in his eye. "This is the kind of training I wanted," he said, his voice low and menacing.
With a fierce battle cry, Crinix charged at Shinro, his fists flying. Shinro ducked, avoiding the initial onslaught, but Crinix was relentless. He unleashed a flurry of punches, each one aimed at Shinro's stomach.
Shinro jumped into the air, his left leg stretching out in a perfectly executed kick. Crinix tried to dodge, but Shinro's kick was too fast. It connected with a loud thud, sending Crinix crashing to the ground.
Crinix landed hard, the wind knocked out of him. He struggled to catch his breath, his eyes locked on Shinro's intense gaze.
Shinro stood over him, his chest heaving with exertion. "Get up," he growled. "We're not done yet."
Crinix slowly rose to his feet, his eyes blazing with determination. Takahishi watched in awe, his own fear forgotten in the face of Crinix's bravery.
The air was electric with tension as Crinix and Shinro faced off both rolling their hands into fist. But before they could charge, a voice boomed from above, echoing off the trees.
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Shinro, the self-proclaimed Grand Reaper."
All eyes snapped upwards, searching for the source of the voice. And then, in a flash of movement, a figure leapt from the branches above, landing with a soft thud on the forest floor.
The newcomer was a striking figure, with a mohawk hairstyle that stood on end, giving him a fierce, punk-rock appearance. His eyes gleamed with a fierce inner light, and a scar above his right eyebrow added to his air of danger.
He wore the uniform of a Grim Hunter, but with a twist - his right sleeve was torn off, exposing a forearm covered in scars. Two swords hung at his waist, their hilts glinting in the sunlight.
"Long time no see, Shinro," the stranger said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I see you still have that scar I put on you."
Shinro's eyes narrowed, his hand instinctively rising to touch the scar on his cheek. "Who the heck is scar face over here?" Takahishi asked, his voice trembling slightly.
Shinro's expression turned grim. "That's Toshiro Ishikawa, my rival."
Toshiro's grin widened, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Oh, is that how you view me, Shinro? Your only friend, isn't that right, buddy?"
Shinro's scowl deepened. "What the hell do you want, Toshiro? Are you here for another duel?"
Toshiro chuckled, his laughter sending a shiver down Takahishi's spine. "I was just taking a nap, and then you guys woke me up. I'm not here to fight you, Shinro. We both know how that ended last time... or have you forgotten how it ended? It ended with one of us getting a scar."
Takahishi's eyes widened in confusion. Was this guy for real? Had he really been sleeping in the tree?
Toshiro's gaze shifted to Crinix and Takahishi, and he grinned. "Well, well, well. I see you're babysitting, Shinro."
Shinro's expression turned icy. "We're in the middle of a training session."
Toshiro snorted. "This? You call this training? These two look like wimps."
Takahishi's face reddened with anger. "What the heck did you say?" he snarled, gripping his wooden sword tightly.
Toshiro's laughter echoed through the forest. "If you guys think you can take me on, I dare you to try."