1 CHAPTER 1: RINKA AND MINARO

Skills, they're powers and the variety is insane.

Each skill takes energy and the more useful it is, the more it takes.

They have a true name, either simple or complicated. But most people call their skills whatever they want.

They can be obtained in various ways, but the following are the most common.

Way 1, you are born with one skill or multiple. Everyone is born with at least one skill. (Born Skilled)

Way 2, you kill people and steal a skill from them. You must know the true name of a skill to take it. (Skill Steal)

Skills are a fundamental part of this world.

...

Rinka, a teenage boy with sharp, curly, black hair wearing a blue sweater with some gray pants is standing. His eyes are all black, with some gray at the bottom.

Next to him is Minaro, another teenage boy, with long, black hair that reaches his shoulders. He's wearing a dark gray shirt with many white stripes on it and dark blue shorts. His eyes are mainly baby blue with some dark blue at the bottom.

They're best buds, and are currently getting prepared to go on a camping trip at a lake. But before they can go, Minaro has to complete 3 little tasks.

So they walk toward their house, it's cyan, simple and somewhat large, and stop before a green van with a man next to it, waiting diligently.

The man is Dac. He's got black hair under a cap, jeans and a button up shirt. His eyes are all black, with baby blue squares in the corner.

Dac: Hey, Minaro, are you ready for your tasks?

Minaro nods his head.

Dac: Okay then, your first task is to go to the backyard and move the rock that's on fire. I don't know how it happened but I can't touch it.

Minaro: Okay.

…

Minaro and Rinka are now in the backyard, observing the rock. It has some burnt sides, tons of smoke and is currently ablaze.

Rinka: Wow, how is that even possible?

Minaro: I have no clue.

Ice forms over Minaro's arms and he touches the rock. The rock freezes swiftly and he picks it up.

…

Minaro's first skill is creating and manipulating ice.

…

He walks back to Dac and drops the rock in front of him. It shatters a little.

Dac: Alright, Good job.

Minaro: … What's next?

Cap Driver: Go in the house, Rose will give you the next task.

…

Inside the house, in the kitchen, is Rose, doing the dishes. She glances at Minaro and Rinka, then stops washing, paying full attention.

She has a green long sleeve shirt and jeans. Long blonde hair and black eyes with baby blue at the bottom.

Rose: Hi Minaro, are you here to help?

Minaro: Yes, what's the task?

Rose: Okay so, one of my towels flew into the pool. I need you to get it.

Minaro: Okay.

…

Rinka and Minaro stare at the pool, it's large, extremely dirty and situated in another section of the backyard. The pink towel can be seen in it.

Minaro and Rinka are disgusted.

Rinka: C'mon now, Why is your pool so fuckin nasty?

Minaro: I don't know! How am I supposed to get the towel?

Rinka: You've gotta go in man.

Minaro: I am not going in there! I'd die!

They intensely ponder for a bit.

Rinka: … What if you freeze the pool and walk on it?

Minaro: If I did that… the towel would be stuck in ice.

Rinka: No, just freeze everything but the spot with the towel.

Minaro: … I don't know how to do that. I'll just end up freezing the whole pool.

Rinka: Oh, you suck dude.

Minaro sighs.

Minaro: I've got an idea… It's stupid and may cause me to go take another really long shower but if I do it, I'll have the towel and feel cool!

Rinka decides to just watch patiently.

Minaro gets into a low position, kind of like a push-up one, right at the edge of the pool. He lifts his foot and kicks the floor and in an instant, is blasted forward.

…

Minaro's second skill, he calls it, "Knockback Attacks." He can make any body part have immense strength when in motion. He mostly uses it to strengthen his punches and kicks.

…

He flies across the pool, swiftly yanks the towel from the center and reaches the other side, where he almost crashes into the wall but is able to stop himself.

Minaro: Hey! I did it!

Rinka: Holy shit!

…

Rinka and Minaro exit the house, returning to Dac, still next to the van, but now on his phone. He looks up at them.

Dac: Oh, it's time for your last task!

Minaro: Yes, what is it?

Dac: It's the most grueling one, if you complete it, it'll prove you're ready to camp.

Dac moves and opens the trunk to the van.

Dac: Go inside the house and bring the groceries to the van. Rinka, you can wait in the car if you'd like.

…

It's been a few minutes, Minaro delivers the last bag and glances at Rinka, who's in the van and using his phone.

Rinka sets it aside.

Rinka: Those tasks were all ass and had nothing to do with camping.

Minaro chuckles.

Minaro: They just made me do chores.

Rinka pokes his head out of the van.

Rinka: Is Dac comin?

Minaro: Yeah, in a bit, he's in the restroom.

Minaro enters the van and takes a seat next to Rinka.

…

5 more minutes have gone by, Dac is in the driver's seat and starts the car. He looks up at the tiny mirror above, where he can see Rinka and Minaro.

Dac: Y'all ready?

Minaro: Yeah.

Dac: Okay! We're off!

The car begins to move.

…

30 minutes of driving later and they're on the freeway. There's a bunch of traffic. Rinka and Minaro both have their headphones in.

Dac yawns and plops his head onto the steering wheel.

Dac: Goddammit, this traffic is killing me! There just had to be an accident today!

…

Further ahead on the freeway, there indeed was an accident, a big one. Many cars are battered.

Two angry men get out of their cars and confront each other.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!?"

"YOU HIT ME DIPSHIT!"

"I DID NOT!"

As the arguing continues, someone walks up to them and they notice.

It's a guy with bright red and dark red hair and pure cyan eyes, dressed with black clothing of varying red patterns. His head is lowered.

"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU WANT!?"

"My name is Rotob and it's the last name you'll ever hear."

"WHAT? YOU'RE A WEIRDO."

"YOU THREATENING US?"

Rotob's arm instantly grows to an enormous inhuman extent. He lifts it and slams it down into the 2 men, squishing them instantly.

Then he lifts it back up, a large amount of blood is dripping from it and only more falls as the arm shrinks to normal.

Rotob laughs and continues moving forward, stepping on the growing blood puddle and the smothered, mangled flesh of the two men.

…

Dac is now using the wheel as a pillow and is basically falling asleep. Suddenly, a big explosion occurs up ahead which startles him and everyone else. Rinka and Minaro quickly take their headphones off.

Dac: Oh shit! What was that!?

Dac lifts his head, he stares at the growing smoke and fire in the distance then at the other cars around.

Minaro: There was an explosion!

Dac: Oh wow.

Many people can be seen abandoning their cars and running from the opposite direction of the conflict. Dac touches the car radio and changes it to the news station, where a woman is talking.

"- dangerous man on Kaitch freeway, everyone near the area please leave and wait for authorities to arrive!"

Minaro: … Damn, what do we do?

Rinka: We've gotta leave, right?

Dac grins.

Dac: No… This is a great opportunity!

He turns to Minaro and Rinka.

Dac: Go beat that dangerous guy up! Then we'd get to the lake super fast cuz there'd be no more traffic!

Minaro: Okay.

Rinka: … But what if he's really strong?

Dac: I've trained you, you're both special and strong! I think you're totally capable of taking that guy down!.. And if you don't, I'll back you up or we'll just dip.

Rinka: … Okay.

Minaro and Rinka exit the van.

Dac: Alright! I'll be waiting.

…

Rotob slams his large arm into a bunch of cars and flings them around. His eyes broaden when he notices Rinka and Minaro run up to him.

Rotob: Heh, have you guys come to save the day? How stupid!

Rinka sticks his hands into his pocket and pulls a katana out, gray handle and its blade pale blue.

He looks at Minaro and they both nod.

Rotob: Not gonna say anything? Whatever!

Rotob swings his arm at them, Minaro creates an ice ramp under himself which he slides on and off to directly head over to Rotob. Rinka leaps onto the arm and runs on it, also making his way to Rotob.

Rotob swiftly swings his arm up and sends Rinka into the air, not too high though. Minaro continues his descent from his ramp and swings his leg at Rotob, who blocks the attempted kick. Minaro then quickly punches him in the chest and launches him into the freeway walls.

Rotob's big arm causes the wall to crumble a bit, it shrinks right after. Rinka lands and Minaro stares as Rotob slowly pushes himself off the wall and grins.

Rotob: Okay, I think I'll have to take this seriously now! I'll kill you both!

Minaro: We'll kill YOU! Leave right now! You're ruining our camping trip!

Rinka: Yo, we can't kill him… We can't go to the lake if we're in court.

Minaro: I know, I'm just threatening him.

Rotob laughs.

Rotob: You're both idiots!

Rinka: … Hey, we might not kill you but we won't hesitate to beat your ass! Get off the freeway man!

Rotob: Nah.

Rotob aggressively tears his shirt off and the skin on his back starts to crinkle. 3 small cannons pop out of it, tearing flesh and shooting little missiles which surprise Rinka and Minaro.

They run away, the missiles miss them and explode once they make contact with the ground. Rinka and Minaro run out of the smoke left behind.

Waves of sharp ice form near Minaro's feet and head for Rotob. Skin on Rotob's arm moves and rips, and a flamethrower pops out of it which he uses to instantly melt the waves as they approach.

The waves stop coming, Minaro turns and starts running directly towards Rotob. The flamethrower and the cannons sink back into Rotob's flesh and the loose skin reattaches itself as if nothing had ever occurred.

Now the skin on Rotob's palm, tears and opens and blood splashes out of it. A minigun comes out of his flesh and he rapidly sprays bullets everywhere.

Minaro creates thick walls of ice to protect himself.

"Bullets. That's annoying."

Rinka sprints to a car and hides behind it.

"Fuck. What do we even do?"

Suddenly from behind and over the wall of ice, several Minaro's jump out.

…

This is Minaro's ultimate skill, "Clones."

When people are born with multiple skills they have the choice to pick their strongest or most useful skill and label it as their ultimate one.

…

Each clone quickly creates their own ice wave and combines them to create a large one that heads for Rotob. Both of his hands grow, he clashes with the wall and keeps it from moving forward.

Rotob: You guys just keep surprising me!

On his other free arm, the flame thrower returns and it starts to melt the wave, all while the minigun is still spraying.

Rotob is grinning broadly but is quickly muddled when he feels something touch his arm. He glances and notices Minaro is standing on it, the real one. He kicks and launches himself off the arm, flying right to Rotob's face and striking it with his fist.

Rotob slams into the wall again, this time with a broken nose, eyes closed and arms shrunken anew.

Rotob: You're not going to defeat me!

Instinctively he raises his arms ready to harm, and opens his eyes. Upon opening them, he is greeted by Rinka, who slices both of his eyes with the katana and then punches him.

Rotob: FUCK!

Minaro is right there too, he kicks him, breaking a bit of his jaw and finally knocking him out.

Minaro and Rinka watch his body slump.

Minaro: Nice, we did it!.. I'm surprised you did what you did.

Rinka: … I'm just trying to get to the lake, man… He shouldn't die from that, right?

Minaro: Of course not.

They hear honking and turn to the sound, Dac is driving to them with his head out the window.

Dac: GOOD JOB YOU TWO! Let's get going!

He stops the van and they quickly get in. Then the van zooms off.

TO BE CONTINUED…