Rinka grabs Iwo as he falls due to exhaustion and looks at Minaro who looks at him.

Rinka is mortified.

Rinka: Minaro?

Doa quickly turns the living room lights on, everything is illuminated.

Rinka: What the hell are you doing!?

Rinka lightly puts Iwo down and walks towards Minaro with an angry expression.

Iwo starts to weakly talk, everyone looks at him.

Iwo: He killed Kuwi and Rasshu.

Rinka is stunned, he turns back to look at Minaro, he has the same bored expression as always.

Rinka: Why did you kill them? When I told you not to!

Rinka attempts to grab Minaro by the shirt but he gets his right wrist caught by him.

Minaro: I have my own things to do.

Minaro pushes Rinka aside and walks towards Iwo. Rinka grabs his arm and stops him.

Rinka: You can't just walk away like that.

Minaro: What do you want me to say?

Rinka: Why? Why did you kill them? You murdered them.

Minaro sighs.

Minaro: I wanted skills. If people are coming after us for our black blood we should get stronger.

Rinka: But why did you kill them? There are alternatives to getting stronger.

Minaro: It was the easiest option.

Rinka: That's fucking stupid! They lost their life! Their dreams! Don't you feel any remorse!

Minaro: Why should I feel bad for people I don't know or care about?"

Rinka: Because! You just should!

Minaro: That's stupid.

Minaro walks away, Rinka grips his sword's handle tightly.

Suddenly Minaro dashes towards Rinka, his fist stops right before his face.

Minaro: I won't hesitate to hurt you just because you're my best friend.

Rinka: That's good because I won't either.

Minaro's punch couldn't connect because Rinka had his katana pointing at Minaro's chest when he dashed towards him.

Minaro summons a rift that launches several rocks at the wall to the right, a big hole is made. Minaro grabs Rinka and throws him out of the room and onto the outside through the hole.

Minaro jumps down from the room and lands on the ground, Rinka stands up and throws his sword on the ground, he raises his fists up.

Minaro: You're actually willing to fight me? I'm much stronger than you.

Rinka: And? You know I never give up!

Minaro: Yeah, It's really annoying. You even put down your sword that puts you at a big disadvantage. Why did you put it down?

Rinka: I don't want to cut you.

Minaro: But I used to cut you back in our older fights, whenever you were stubborn and didn't give up even though you were clearly losing I would cut you with my nails.

Rinka: You and I are really different. We don't do the same things.

The others look down at Minaro and Rinka through the hole. Doa pulls her gun out which Rinka notices.

Rinka: Hey! Don't interfere, this is between Minaro and I.

Minaro and Rinka run towards each other.

Minaro: Don't blame me for what happens next.

Minaro attempts to punch Rinka, Rinka dodges it and attempts to roundhouse kick Minaro, Minaro catches his foot. Minaro lifts his right foot up and uses it to hit Rinka in the chin.

Rinka stumbles back, Minaro quickly punches him in the stomach and launches him away. Rinka quickly stands up.

Minaro: You sure you don't want to use your sword?

Rinka: Yeah, I'm sure.

Minaro: Okay, you better not hold a grudge against me, because I'm not holding back.

Minaro summons an enormous wave of Ice, Rinka turns into lightning and appears right beside Minaro. Minaro tries to punch Rinka, but Rinka dodges it and tackles Minaro to the floor.

Rinka: You want skills? You want to get stronger by killing people and taking their skills?

Rinka punches Minaro, Minaro punches Rinka and stands up. Minaro tries to kick Rinka, Rinka dodges it and punches Minaro in the stomach.

Minaro: Getting more skills means getting stronger, that's just how it is.

Rinka: There is no need to kill anyone, everyone is born with skills and we train those skills to their limits.

Minaro summons a giant block of ice that slams into Rinka, Rinka is launched to the floor, he quickly stands up and runs towards Minaro.

Rinka: You have a skill where you bring shit from space! Use that skill to its full potential and I bet you'll be really strong!

Minaro: But I could be even stronger with more skills. No enemy would wanna fight me! No one would try to kill us!

Lightning strikes behind Minaro, Rinka quickly swings at Minaro, Minaro dodges and uppercuts Rinka in the stomach, he's launched away.

2 rifts open up around Minaro, several rocks come out of it that head towards Rinka, Rinka turns into lightning, he weaves around the rocks and reappears.

Rinka slams his fist into Minaro's stomach, as Minaro is being pushed back he summons a string that wraps around Rinka's arm, it pulls him towards Minaro.

Minaro punches Rinka and slams him into the floor, Rinka is bleeding now, Minaro kicks Rinka away.

Imma-Ite: Are these guys really best friends? Minaro is beating his ass.

Doa and the rest look uncomfortable.

Rinka stands up, they run at each other.

Rinka: I believe in you, you don't need more skills to be strong, I know you don't need them.

Minaro tries to punch Rinka, Rinka dodges it and punches Minaro in the face.

Rinka: Why did you kill them!? I'm asking this not for the sake of them, but for the sake of you! I don't want my best friend to be a murderer or a greedy son of a bitch who wants power when he already has it!

Minaro punches Rinka in the side of his stomach and launches him away, Rinka quickly stands up. Minaro runs towards him and tries to punch him.

Minaro: I already told you, I did it so that we wouldn't have to worry about enemies!

Rinka dodges the punch, Minaro gets punched in the side of his stomach.

Minaro: Rinka, remember you've never won any of our older fights fairly, I always give up and let you win because you're really stubborn.

Rinka: Yeah, I know.

Rinka tries to kick Minaro, Minaro dodges it and punches Rinka in the stomach, Rinka quickly swings his fist and punches Minaro in the face, Minaro punches Rinka in the face. Blood is on Minaro's fist, Rinka stumbles back.

Rinka: Do you see how strong you are? You don't need more skills!

Minaro: This doesnt show me anything. You are weak.

Rinka: I'm not weak!

Rinka runs away from Minaro, as he runs a memory goes through his head.

...

Younger Rinka and Minaro are fighting.

Rinka has both of his legs locked on Minaro's neck, while Minaro is kicking Rinka's face with his leg.

Minaro: Give up, you know you're losing.

Rinka: Nope.

Minaro's starts to stab his nails through Rinka's pants.

Minaro: Give up!

Rinka: Nope.

...

The memory fades, Minaro appears in front of Rinka.

"It's been so long since I've had a full fight with punching and kicking. I always preferred using my katana." Rinka thinks.

Rinka attempts to punch Minaro, Minaro dodges and swings back, Rinka dodges it and tries to kick Minaro, Minaro dodges and punches Rinka in the stomach and launches him back.

Rinka stands up and stares at Minaro, he looks around.

Rinka: Why are we fighting again? I forgot. I think we were both just really angry?

Minaro: Yeah, and I don't plan to stop fighting until I knock you out.

Rinka: That's right, I'm fighting you so that I can show you how strong you are without new skills. Tell me, did you even get the skills?

Minaro: I didn't and that's why I had to kill the ones you helped.

Rinka: Wow, in the end it was all pointless because you didnt get shit.

Minaro: Pointless? I got stronger thanks to the battle experience. I'll just keep killing skillers to try and get more skills.

Rinka: I don't want you to do that. You're strong without new skills! The strength you want is within you and to reach it you just train the skills you have to the best of their ability.

Minaro: But having more skills would be better too.

Rinka: No! Fuck you! Do something for me, use your rifts to their full potential and launch everything at me.

Minaro: That would kill you, so no.

Rinka looks serious and menacing.

Rinka: I said do it.

Doa and the others look nervous.

Minaro sighs.

Minaro's rifts open beside him, gamma rays, solar flares, small asteroids, and electricity shoot out of them that head towards Rinka.

Maya: Should we step in?

Imma-Ite: Rinka, asked for this so he should have a plan right?

Lightning strikes right in front of Minaro, Rinka appears.

Rinka: That's it?

Minaro is punched and thrown to the floor, he stares at Rinka.

Rinka; I was expecting more space shit, like a black hole or something.

Minaro: I haven't gotten that strong yet.

Rinka: Yeah, you haven't, now tell me how is getting more skills going to make your rift skill stronger?

Minaro stays silent.

Rinka: You're strong, stand up.

Rinka offers his hand to Minaro, Minaro ignores it and stands up.

Rinka: I don't actually care which skillers you kill in the future, I just want you to feel some remorse for the people who haven't done anything wrong.

Minaro: That's not something I can promise you I will do.

Minaro attempts to punch Rinka, Rinka dodges it and punches Minaro in the face.

Rinka: Your punches got slower. Using your rifts got you somewhat tired huh, I don't know why you listened to me.

Minaro: You're my best friend, that's why.

Minaro tries to kick Rinka, Rinka blocks and kicks Minaro's leg which makes him stumble back. Minaro quickly swings and punches Rinka in the stomach and pushes him away.

Rinka grabs his stomach, Minaro punches him in the face, Rinka falls to the floor and gets kicked by Minaro, but instead of being launched he holds onto Minaro's leg with as much strength as possible.

Minaro lifts his other foot up and starts to stomp on Rinka's head repeatedly.

Minaro: Let go of my leg.

Rinka: No.

The stomping continues, Rinka starts to cry a little from the pain.

Doa: Minaro stop! You'll really hurt him if you don't stop!

Minaro: I'm not stopping. I'll do this until he admits defeat. If he gets really hurt then it's his fault.

Rinka quickly removes one of his hands off Minaro's leg and shields his head with it, the stomping continues.

Minaro: Give up already!

Rinka: No! You're strong Minaro! You don't need more skills, my best friend is strong!

The stomping gets slower.

Minaro: Please give up.

Rinka doesn't respond, the stomping stops.

Minaro: I give up.

Minaro stares at Rinka waiting for him to stand up, Rinka takes a seat instead.

Rinka: You could have given me brain damage.

Minaro: You're the one who didn't want to give up.

Rinka sighs.

Rinka: Yeah. Anyways what now? You already killed the skillers, I can't bring them back to life or anything, I just wanted to beat the shit out of you for doing it.

Minaro: I knew you were going to try to fight me.

Rinka: I think we should just move on right? Maybe you should reflect on what you've done or something.

Minaro stays silent.

Rinka: Also please leave the skiller alone! I beat you so you've gotta listen to me. If you don't, the next battle we have I'll cut you!

Minaro: Fine, I'll leave him alone.

…

It's 12 AM now, everyone is in the living room talking about what happened.

Imma-Ite points at Iwo.

Imma-Ite: So like, who the hell is this green haired guy?

Rinka is cleaning off blood on his face.

Rinka: Oh, that's Iwo, one of the skillers I had fought before and helped.

Imma-ite crosses his arms.

Imma-Ite: Okay, also, I don't get this situation at all.

Rinka: Basically, Minaro attacked the skillers I told him not to attack which led to our stupid fight.

Maya yawns.

Maya: Is Iwo going to stay here now?

Rinka: I think we should let him stay for a night.

Imma-Ite: I'll let him sleep on my couch then, I'll just chill on the floor.

...

It's around 1 AM now, Rinka is on the balcony staring at the moon, Doa walks into the balcony and goes beside Rinka.

Doa: Why are you out here?

Rinka: Just thinking.

Doa: Oh. Do you need someone to talk to?

Rinka: Not sure.

Doa and Rinka stare at the bright moon.

Doa: Are you feeling sad or something?

Rinka: No, I don't know what I'm feeling. I'm not even thinking actually, I'm just enjoying being out here.

Doa: Oh. Do you mind If I stay here and enjoy it too?

Rinka: Why are you asking that?

Rinka smiles a little.

Rinka: I dont own this balcony.

Doa smiles and stares off into the distance.

They're both silent for a few seconds.

Doa: Hey, Rinka, do you remember a homeless girl with long black hair that you helped?

Rinka:...Long black hair, I think I remember, I once helped a girl who was crawling on the streets. How do you know about her?

Doa: That girl was me…

Rinka looks confused and then he's shocked.

Rinka: Wait what? That was you? But you look so different now!

Doa: You believe me?

Rinka: Well yeah, how else would you know about me saving a girl?

Doa blushes a little.

Doa; Yeah, that was a stupid question to ask.

Rinka: Wow, I can't believe I met you again. What are the chances?

Doa: I guess it was fate? Maybe?

Rinka: Also why did you change so much?

Doa: I didn't like how I looked.

Rinka: Oh. Yeah that would be the normal answer.

Doa: I have a question for you.

Rinka: Yeah?

Doa: What happened to you back then?

Rinka: What do you mean?

Doa: The incident where you killed your family and ran away.

Rinka looks scared and then sighs.

Rinka: Oh yeah, that, I'll be honest, I don't know what happened. One day I was eating nicely with my family and then the next day, something got over me and I killed them all, I seriously don't know what happened, it felt like I wasn't even in my own body at the time.

Doa: Not in your own body?

Rinka: Yeah, I just did it without wanting too, without thinking, it was horrifying.

Doa: That's- That sucks.

Rinka laughs.

Rinka: Your at a loss of words, huh?

Doa: Yeah, I mean most people would not believe you. They would think your crazy.

Rinka: Yeah, I'm glad you believe me...

Rinka:..Those things that happened in my past are the reasons I don't like killing people, it's also my overall fear of death that also stops me from killing.

Doa: Hm. I knew someone like you couldn't do such a thing especially to your family… So what happened after you ran away?

Rinka: Oh, I went to live with Minaro and let my hair grow, I dont like it when it's short. I look like a brown egg.

Doa laughs.

Doa: I thought you were arrested or something.

Rinka: Nope, since I was young, confused and remorseful, I was only put in a special area and then let go a year later.

Doa: So are you and Minaro technically family?

Rinka: Yeah, I'm basically his step-brother since I was adopted by his family.

Rinka stops looking at the moon and looks at Doa.

Rinka: I'm gonna go inside now, it was nice talking to you.

Doa follows Rinka and then heads to her room, she waves goodbye cutely.

Doa: Goodnight.

Rinka: Goodnight.

Rinka opens the door to his bedroom.

"Tomorrow, I'll try to get everyone to help me with Iwo's mission." Rinka thinks.

TO BE CONTINUED...