One month after the first Voyd incursion

(散歩中〜ゲリラ豪雨〜 By My First Story)

Mid-day heat had flared up from the sun. The rays of sunlight beating down on all that walked the streets of Vacuo. The worst of the heat always gathered within the sands and asphalt that made up the streets of Vacuo. For most newcomers, their first visit to the kingdom would carry the assumption that the kingdom has failed with how little traffic there is on the surface. However, a night or two would prove this observation wrong. As Vacuo's nightlife was often the most prominent among all the kingdoms. In addition, the kingdom's old warfare tunnels and trenches expanded into Vacuo's own underground shopping centers. As well as being the primary means of transit between the citizens of the kingdom.

However, the cool air-conditioned tunnels were not the haven of team CFVY, Shampoo, or Gillian. They each sat on the sand outside in the sun as the heat was burning away their aura slowly. Most of CASL was unphased by the heat. Not even dawning on their ice dust cloaks to combat the rays of the sun.

The newcomers to the kingdom as well as Sulfur were struggling with an auric exercise. As they focused on rather small metal cups of tea. Each containing a small piece of Ice dust, Luntian was monitoring their aura as the heat slowly ate at it. As Cael kept an eye on each of them with Ayla weaving some dust threads together it was obvious who was picking up on the fundamentals of aura manipulation.

The goal of the training was to carry the cold energy of the ice dust and spread it among the body. While cycling the body's excess heat to the dust, which allows huntsmen to conserve their aura in harsh environments. Something CASL was quite familiar with as an additional threat in both hunting and patrolling.

"Coco, Yatsuhashi, Fox, Gillain you're getting left behind come on…" The four seemed disgruntled as the heat was causing them to sweat… their aura consistently shimmering. Gillian was suffering the worst as Luntian was keeping an eye out for her aura breaking. Cael was very strict with them and would not let up on barking his orders.

As for the others, Shampoo, Velvet, and Sulfur were each making progress. Velvet was surpassing everyone on how quickly she was picking it up due to her semblance closing the gap. However, Sulfur was positioned away from Velvet to stop him from using her semblance, of the three he was struggling to maintain his auric flow.

"I don't get the importance of this if we could just use your cloaks… it wouldn't make a difference if we had our aura just cycle out the heat." Gillian said bitterly Cael rolled his eyes as he motioned Luntian to Gillian.

The hunter slowly walking crouches right in front of her and gives a simple flick against her forehead as her aura broke. "Wha… I-.." she was about to retort before Luntian caught her as she realized she was starting to suffer from heatstroke. "Get Gillian into some shade, she's gonna need a break… as for why. Well, when you want half of your aura depleted or you suffer flash freeze from improper training just before fighting an enemy then by all means continue as living as you were." Cael said coldly just before Sulfur cackled a bit from the girl's arrogance.

Cael was quick to shoot a glare at Sulfur, clearing his throat to announce "Congrats Sulfur you'll be leading the third phase of the exercise." He quickly stopped laughing and swore underneath his breath.

Getting into a handstand position and started pushing his body up and down as his second handheld onto the teacup. The group saw his aura begin to disperse ice into the ground as he continued his exercise… "Shampoo and Velvet you're free to follow his lead, I'm certain you'll outpace him quickly."

The hour after the group was sitting within the "Black Wagon" the vehicle/mobile home of CASL. Ice cold towels and ice cream spread amongst all of them. Ayla walked in on everyone else as Luntian and Cael were prepping the wagon to leave. "Congrats, after some review we've decided you're all ready for some fieldwork. The exception however is Gillian for a multitude of reasons."

"Yay…." Gillian in the corner said with a lack of passion… her face covered by an ice-cold towel. Ayla was keen to skip over to Shampoo however as she brought up her request she made a week ago. "The team wants to question you about Yuki before we commit to giving him or his team any commissioned gear we've made… I'm certain you'll be cooperative. Sulfur, come on you'll need to be a part of this too." Shampoo nodded as Sulfur was still scarfing some of his ice cream and followed with the tub in hand.

(Tech - Arknights OST)

Outside of the Black Wagon on the outskirts of the kingdom CASL as well as their guest shampoo was covered by the ice cloaks prepared for them. In an odd sense, the most secure conversation was out in the dreaded heat most people would only brave for a brief moment or two.

The original question on the connection between Isis and Yuki was resolved quickly by a brief statement. "To put it simply, that goddess of time your employer brought up before has far more direct ties to Yuki. If that was your only concern then I believe we should discuss our mission…"

"It isn't… As Ayla mentioned this is also about Yuki and his team. We want to know who we're working with. You and your team didn't exactly give us a good first impression of your leader. So let's remedy that." Shampoo was by no means surprised by the line of questioning and in the time spent preparing for CASL's patrol missions she had made time to prepare what she thought would be the most appropriate answer.

"Alright then, I'll like to ask what you know of them first…" There was a show of concern in her voice.

The team was quick to pick up on it. Her demeanor didn't change, but she seemed somewhat expecting their first concern. "The only info we were able to drag out was the name the Crossroads Killer, in association with Yuki. As for my former networks in Mistral… from years ago have seemed to have died out from an outside influence within a year." Luntian said as he sighed…

"That was a name he used to carry, yes, but that's not him in his entirety." Shampoo said a bit bitterly, as the conversation was starting to feel as if it were an interrogation.

"Each member of team YUKI has a huge gap in their history and it seems to be not only institutional powers covering for them but underground ones as well. The only one of a renowned name was Kelly Usagi and that was more so of her formerly criminal conduct in Atlas and family name in Usagi Metals. Although, Atlas doesn't have the best track record with labeling actual criminals considering they relinquished all attempts and even gone to rectify this apparent mistake in her label ." Cael said his words had a sort of venom in them as he brought up Atlas.

"So you'll fill in the gaps, or at least as much as you're willing to. We aren't going to force you, promise." Ayla said, trying to lead the conversation away from the northern kingdom.

"Personally, I've spent time growing up a bit with Yuki and Lapis. So I'll start with them, as for the rest of the team I can't say how they came to group up… I don't know the whole story on Lapis. She rarely talks about her past, but all I can say is that she longed to feel normal. Yuki and her probably got a pretty messed-up codependent relationship by most standards, but they were two broken people wanting to make something whole."

Sulfur, whose eyes seemed to drift away from the conversation, spoke rather unlike himself. Coldly, calm, and rather softly in contrast to his usual blunt manner… "Such a connection, in any sense, could be dangerous. Especially if it becomes self-serving… I am not implying Yuki is such an individual, but that his connections and his desire to protect them have been leading him down a rather dangerous path."

The rest of team CASL seem to take notice of his words and before Shampoo could answer back. "Sulfur, you shouldn't have to 'Her' speak for you… but I understand." Cael spoke up confusing Shampoo for a moment before she redirects the conversation back to its topic.

"I know you're fearful of Yuki. I get it...he is...one who wants to protect the people most precious to him from harm. He'd seen Gillian and Jax as threats for good reason, although he can do the extreme, he's always wanting to be the hero that will do whatever it takes to have his precious people alive and well...alongside the innocent. His family has been in the family business of fighting evil and such. I remember how we met...it was years ago. We had clashed in battle after his faded hometown...it was an intense battle...but I had lost to him. It was my first notable loss. My people have a rule that when a man defeats an Amazon in combat, he gets to marry the Amazon. " Shampoo said wistfully. "He had refused..."

Cael seemed as if ready to speak, but backed off a bit as the rest of the team began questioning her. "Seems a bit romantic, but I'm certain details such as those up to interpretation." Luntian said as Ayla was keen on listening as if it were some sort of romantic novel "Oh come on it spices up the story a bit L, you and Cael could lighten up a bit more." Allowing the girl to continue.

"At the time, we were 14, but his reasons for marrying me were more focused on his endeavor and blood feud with the White Fang. My grandmother did name him an honorary member. He trained with us...and he was determined. Lapis was no slouch either. Because of his refusal, I had an 'immunity' to the rule so long as Yuki lives. I grew to respect that he did not choose to marry me. I got to live my life and my status as clan heir was all but surface. Yuki has traveled around Remnant on his own to which is how he met Kelly and Ivory. For what it's worth, Yuki's grown into a seasoned fighter. So much so that my grandmother repeatedly tries to ask him to join our tribe and marry me." Shampoo said as her cheeks turned pink, having lost herself in reminiscing of the past.

"Isn't it embarrassing that he keeps saying no, or having to say no? Does it bother you?" Sulfur asked, seemingly a bit more curious.

"It doesn't since Yuki's usually rebuffing and she only tries once a month. However, if Yuki did want to marry me...not exactly against it." Shampoo admitted.

"So he's a bachelor that has way too many options and is too busy to choose or consider who he wants to be with?" Luntian said with a chuckle as he found the humor within this individual. "I wouldn't put it like that…" Shampoo was quick to dismiss his statement.

The conversation had gotten a lot lighter with this information, but it was obvious Cael had a lot on his mind when it came to such a mysterious individual as Yuki.

"Alright then, we'll accept the commission to produce team YUKI some new gear. Even as vague as descriptions you gave of their semblances, fighting styles, and tactics within the past week making it a bit more difficult to produce the gear best appropriate for them. I still understand the caution… A dust blade of my own design will be made for Yuki, while Ayla will take the lead on the commission for ivory. Luntian will create a firearm suited for Lapis and lastly… Sulfur try to think of what you can use from each of us to form Kelly's weapon." Shampoo perked up quite quickly due to CASL's cooperation.

It has been just about a month since anyone familiar with Yuki himself has heard or known of his activity. It was definitely a worrying thing that this leader of hers had dropped off the face of the planet with no given explanation… but there wasn't much anyone could do about it. Until his return, it would be best to focus on what's in front of the team.

Three Hours After

(Relax - Arknights Soundtrack)

The late afternoon was to mark the team's departure, team CFVY having grown fond of the market district underneath the kingdom was a bit dismayed when they heard they were being deployed to an independent city called Oasis with the rest of team CASL. However, this was exactly what the team was preparing them for.

As everyone was packing up the last of their things into Black Wagon, Coco was at her usual persistence of prodding Ayla for a commissioned outfit "Coco, I've already told you that my work takes time. You've already given me your measurements, and I've been piecing together what I can with the materials I still have, but Dust is expensive so we'll have to pick up some outside the kingdom along our patrol route. Vacuo, unlike all the other kingdoms, doesn't have much to export, I'm certain how you see how high most of the prices are in the kingdom."

"Hehe I'm sorry, but the more I think about it the giddier it makes me. Hearing about all the rumors and stories about you and your work just… I don't know how to put it into words after meeting you." Coco was a bit impatient and excited about the designer huntress outfit from her role model.

"Most of the stories, while true, tend to be exaggerated a bit here and there. You'll love Oasis, promise… we're meeting friends of an old student we used to tutor before we depart. Sun Wukong made sure to send us a message through Isis. Isis informed us she would instruct them on auric manipulation while we focused on you and your team. Funny enough I'd say our method is enough to allow you guys to use the cloaks I've made. Maybe not for combat… but definitely for travel and patrol." Ayla explained with her optimistic spring in her voice.

"So, how are you and your team holding up in Vacuo." Ayla casually continued as they were taking inventory of everything. "Well, everyone is doing alright. The moment Cael took interest in Velvet got me a bit iffy considering how you guys just outright stomped us in that fight a month ago. She's shy and seeing her socialize with others is good for her...Yatsuhashi is still gaining a hold of his semblance even learned a new trick or two with Sulfur and Luntian training with him. Fox, definitely the coldest of us, but he has gotten used to Vacuo quickly. Most people here seemed confrontational, but as soon as they saw you all they softened up."

"Sorry about that, Vacuo citizens don't take kindly to outsiders… reputation as the most brutal of the four kingdoms hasn't made it easy for international events. They even gave me the cold shoulder until they got to know me. Definitely love a good fight… and Isis has been actively trying to change Vacuo to be a better nation." As she said that last bit Coco seemed to take a bit more interest.

"So what exactly has she done?" It was a curious thing since Vacuo was barely resembled what she had envisioned she had when she came to explore the city.

"A lot of things…. a caravan network for villages and settlements outside the kingdom. Implementation of more Atlas tech and development of the cultural arts from the tribes. As well as inducting them as traveling militias to secure trade routes." It was quite a bit to absorb, but she seemed to take all the information in. "I gotta ask you though, how are you holding up Coco… you seemed a bit uncomfortable since your stay here."

The student took a breath for a moment turning to Ayla with her eyes still obscured by her glasses. "Just some old childhood fears in the underground markets, I've been getting over it. Hopefully, it's not a common thing here." Coco's eyes behind the glasses drifted back to Ayla's face as she gave a rather easy-to-read expression. "There's gonna be more cave-like homes isn't there?"

Giving a nervous chuckle and reply "Well... at least it won't feel as claustrophobic in Oasis."