laughing echoes throughout, followed by many strings erupting out the guy's back, waving around and forming into two large shurikens, which are hanging off a single string near his knuckles.
The guy then starts to spin himself clockwise and rapidly. It's a red spinning blur with the shurikens slicing in half many trees in the near distance.
He starts getting closer to Minaro, so Minaro and his clones jump back to keep some necessary distance.
Minaro studies the situation.
"How the hell do we approach?"
The guy only gets closer and closer. Minaro's clones start running ahead, 4 of them quickly grab the legs of 4 others, and lift and heave them onwards.
They fly over and past all the danger and fall right in front of the guy, where they attempt to kick his face.
He stops spinning and quickly swipes the air with his arm, hitting the clones, causing them to instantly disappear.
Another clone arrives by dashing and gets right up to the guy's chest, ready to punch him.
But it's swiftly killed by a long and thin string spike that comes out of the guy's gaping stomach.
The rest of the clones arrive right after and are ready to attack. All the strings on the guy unravel and morph into a large dome which protects him from all their incoming punches.
The real Minaro quickly shows up, his fist is frozen within a sharp icicle, and he punctures the dome with a punch. The remaining clones freeze their fist and do the same.
The dome disassembles and the guy tries to leap away but has his foot promptly punctured by a clone, and pinned to the floor. He's horrified and a bunch of blood is leaking out.
"OH SHIT!"
Minaro thrust his icicle fist forward while repeating a single thought in his head.
"String Manipulation, String Manipulation. "
The icicle goes through the guy's chest, and blood bursts out. Minaro then pulls his fist out, and the body falls.
Minaro bends down and breaks the icicle with the floor, while staring at the guy's lifeless corpse and the gaping hole in it.
"I killed someone… It was in self defense though so it should be fine."
He looks at his finger, a little red string comes out of it.
"I got the skill, that's really lucky, I actually managed to guess its real name."
…
"String Manipulation", whoever has the skill can summon and control strings to do anything they'd like.
When the strings are summoned, they can come out in two certain styles, a choice of the holder.
"Sharp", where the strings are less durable but can slice easily, and "Tough", where the strings are hard to break and can be used to hit things and carry them.
…
Rinka walks out of a porta potty, and notices a red-haired girl and dude, resembling the boy he had fought earlier, walking nonchalantly. They both have green shirts and blue jeans, and they notice him too, eyes broadening.
"That's strange… You haven't been taken by the strings."
The girl points intensely at Rinka's pants, which have small black stains.
"I think he has black blood!"
The dude looks at her and then back at Rinka.
"… Hey, do you have black blood?"
Rinka: … Nah, I don't even know what that is.
"You've got it, don't lie."
The dude dashes and swings his leg, Rinka blocks the kick. Next, the girl gets close and strikes Rinka's belly, he's pushed back and new strings nearby constrict his entire body and trip him.
He hits the ground and the girl sits on his back.
Rinka: Yo, I said I didn't have black blood!
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"Quiet."
The dude looks at the girl, who's all giddy.
"Keep him there, Maya, I'll go tell everyone about him!"
Maya: Okie dokie!
The dude runs off and Rinka starts wiggling around aggressively. Maya pans around anxiously and then gets off of him.
Maya: Alright, I'm gonna let you out. But please listen to what I have to say… And also sorry for hitting you earlier.
Rinka: Uh, okay.
She softly tears the strings off his body and he rises, and just observes her, patiently. She avoids eye contact, and has a melancholy expression.
Maya: … So my family constantly hunts the people at this lake, in search of black blood. It all irks me, and also, they always abuse me, so I've been thinking of running away for some time now.
Rinka nods his head to show that he's understanding.
Maya: But if I try they're going to kill me! So I've been waiting for someone really strong and capable with black blood to come here and I would get them to assist me and help me leave this… So, can you do that? Please?
Rinka just stares at her with an awkward poker face.
Rinka: I mean… I'll try my best?
She stares back at him with her own poker face and laughs a moment later.
Maya: Alright, my life is in your hands now.
Rinka looks around.
Rinka: Hey, but if you want my help you have to help me too.
Maya: Okay, I'll help with anything!
Rinka: Then help me bring everyone down from the trees.
Maya: Okay! On it!
Two strings fly out of her back and head up to a group of injured, unconscious, people tied to the near top of a tree. One string slices the strings holding the people and the other ties around them, holds them tightly and safely brings them to the ground.
Maya: There we go.
Rinka: Cool.
… 8 minutes go by … Minaro randomly shows up, Rinka takes his eyes off Maya to look at him, she continues focusing on bringing people down safely.
Rinka: What's up man.
Minaro: Who's that?
Rinka: Maya. She's been helping me get a bunch of people down.
Maya waves at him, sincerely.
Minaro: Oh.
"She looks a lot like the guy I fought, and even has strings, but Rinka seems to trust her so there shouldn't be any problems."
Rinka: Maya's family is behind all of this string shit, and they abuse her so she's trying to run away. I'm gonna help her, so she's helping us.
Minaro: Oh, okay.
Maya glances at them.
Maya: Rinka, do you really want me to bring EVERYONE down?
He turns to her.
Rinka: Yeah?
Maya: … It's going to take some time, and if my family finds us, it's going to be bad. Do you think you'll be able to kill them? Are you strong enough? If not I suggest we get out of this place soon, so we don't get caught.
Rinka looks slightly distressed.
Rinka: Uh, I don't know… Do we have to kill them? Or can we just defeat them?
Maya: I want them all dead, plus they're ruthless, to defeat them, you've gotta kill them.
Rinka sighs.
Maya: … Do you not want to kill them?
Rinka: … It's just, I'm horribly afraid of death, and killing, it all forces me to remember something fuckin awful that happened to me when I was younger. That I desperately keep trying to forget but it haunts me.
Maya: Oh. I'm Sorry. We could-
A loud THUMP interrupts and rattles the area, startling the three.
Maya: Crap! That's my dad!
Maya panics, lifts Minaro and Rinka with her strings and hides them inside a random tent.
Maya: Wait here, I'll go confront my family. I think there's a small chance they'll leave me alone and we'll be able to get out here without any violence ensuing.
She clumsily runs off.
…
Maya innocently walks up to her family, her father and mother bearing the same stern expression and purple shirts, blue jeans, and her brother from before, who is pissed.
"Maya! The hell happened to the dude with black blood!?"
Maya: He escaped! I tried to stop him but he was surprisingly super fast!
She's quickly slapped by her brother.
"You're so useless, Maya!"
She holds back tears.
Maya: I'm sorry.
Suddenly, she's punched by her father and knocked to the floor. Blood is dripping from a broken nose, she grabs her face and starts crying.
Maya: Dad!?
…
Rinka and Minaro are now behind a tree and just witnessed what happened to Maya. Rinka is disturbed and angsty, and Minaro is shocked.
Rinka: Holy shit! We have to help her!.. I'm pretty sure we can take those guys down without killing them, so-
Minaro: I'll kill them.
Rinka gazes at him.
Minaro: I … I killed someone earlier. One of the string guys. It wasn't anything special, I just felt like I killed a bug.
Rinka: Really?
Minaro: Yeah, and I'll do it again. I'll kill anyone who stands in our way. So, don't worry about getting your hands dirty, I'll do it for us every time… You hurt them and I'll kill them!
Rinka's anxiety washes away, he has a face of comfort now, that right after, becomes confident.
Rinka: … Just make sure to tell me when you're going to kill someone so that I can look away. And get rid of the bodies too!
Minaro: I will.
Rinka: … Alright, let's go!
…
Maya's father steps closer, looming over her with a very serious and judgemental expression.
"I can't believe you would lie to us."
Maya: What the heck are you talking about!?
"We saw you with the boy earlier, saving everyone, do you think we'd be total blind dumbasses and not notice?"
His arm lunges for her throat and he lifts her up, beginning to strangle her.
"You know, I think it's about time we finally get rid of you. We'll replace with a new, better daughter."
Maya gags repeatedly, she smacks her father's arm multiple times and struggles, and squirms.
Her father's smug grin grows but it immediately changes to confusion when from the corner of his eyes, he notices the lower half of a tree explode.
Minaro flies by ready to impale the father's head with an icicle punch. He quickly drops Maya and hops back, avoiding Minaro, who lands in the distance. While Rinka instantly dashes into view, grabs Maya and runs off.
The father grins, cunningly.
"The hell?"
Rinka puts Maya down, she coughs a little more. Minaro dashes and stands beside them.
Maya: Thank you so much!
Strings creep out of the father's back and he chuckles.
"I can't wait to kill you all."
Next, strings come out of the mother's back and she smiles devilishly.
"We're going to kill you, and hang your bodies in your home as decoration!"
Finally, strings erupt out of the brother's shoulders, he snobbishly grins.
"And we'll have a big feast and use the black blood as a drink!"
The three laugh simultaneously.
Maya rises, and wipes her tears, she's situated between Rinka and Minaro. All three, unflinching.
Maya: I'll help you guys fight them!
Rinka: Cool!
Minaro: … If you're about to kill someone, let Rinka know so he can look away, and also get any bodies far away from his sight.
Maya: Okay! I will!
Rinka: … Let's go guys!
TO BE CONTINUED…