Welcome back.
There's not much to say and a lot to do; let's get into the new volume.
Beta Readers: Chris72637, Luxutor, MegaDumbo, and Tupjunk
...
Pots and pans clinked around as a pink-haired teenager zoomed around his team's tiny kitchen, watching as a storm of white rice flowed with the boiling water.
It had been a few days since the Japan lecture fiasco, and Yuji was in sort of a funk, unable to tell anyone the true history of his home without embarrassing a certain white-haired girl with anger issues; he resigned himself to silence, but eventually, an idea popped into his head.
If the vessel couldn't talk about Japan, he'd give his friends a taste of Japan instead! Getting all the right stuff had been a pain, but since the sorcerer had no weapons to speak of and no ammo to buy, his paychecks were pretty much fair game to do whatever he wanted.
A humming behind him broke Yuji out of his thoughts. He glanced over his shoulder to see his partner's red hair swishing back and forth as she worked over something, the sight making the guy chuckle, "What's got you so happy, Pyr?"
The invincible girl had ditched her armor for a simple white apron over her orange sweatpants and t-shirt. While Yuji wasn't one to comment on this sorta stuff, he somehow knew Todo would murder him out of jealousy if he ever found out he had a girl like this as his partner.
The picture of his other brother reminded him of that whenever he saw it in his wallet.
She turned to flash him a radiant smile, "Oh, nothing, just happy you're letting me help."
She was really too nice.
Itadori ran a hand along the back of his head, "Ah, it's nothin'. We haven't gotten to hang out much since class started. Sorry, we aren't doin' something a little more fun."
The Huntress just rolled her green eyes, "You might call this boring, but I like this sort of thing, Mr. Fun King. Oh, but where are my manners? Should I bow for his grace?"
Using his best Weiss impersonation, the sorcerer huffed, looking up at the ceiling with his eyes closed, "You may, but don't forget, I have to feed my gracious subjects. Have you completed your rounds for this evening?"
She matched his energy, giving a mock bow, "That I have. You'll be pleased to know the basement troll known as Nora hasn't managed to hide a single pancake for the last two days."
Yuji deadpanned, "...Did you check under the bathroom sink?"
Pyrrha stopped, her face going cold as she shot up and walked out of the room. Not even two seconds passed before a demonic roar echoed throughout the Fun King's mighty castle, "NORA!"
Minutes later, they were back to it, with her visibly looking defeated as Yuji laughed, "How many was it this time?"
"...You don't want to know."
He leaned against the counter, "Come onnnn, how'd she hide em'?"
Pyrrha rubbed between her eyes, "She was using dish soap as syrup...I...I thought it was a sponge...was...was she going to eat that?"
"Do you really wanna know the answer to that?"
The redhead shivered, "You're right...I think I'll just...Eugh."
Seconds ticked by as she took the deepest breath known to man, whirling around, a tray full of salmon in her hands, "Okay, I'm good... I'm good. How do you want these cut?"
Yuji hummed, looking them over before lazily raising a hand and snapping a finger.
*FWING
Pyrrha blinked and dumbly stared down at the plate as a clean row of slices ran through one of the fish, making perfect slabs for what the sorcerer had planned, "Somethin' like that-"
Pyrrha looked at the fish and back to him, swearing he didn't even move, "I-you...wha? How did you...how did you just do that?"
Itadori tilted his head, "I dunno, how do you do that cool Magneto thing?"
The not-so-armored girl puffed her cheeks, "For the last time, I don't know what that is!"
"Ohhh...well...think of him like a super...hero...villain...I dunno- Comics change what he is a lot, but he does what you do, but with like...cars and stuff."
The redhead just stared at him, putting the tray down, "You could've said that...about a week ago...but explaining a semblance isn't all that easy...we just-"
Itadori just shrugged, "Do it?"
She slumped over, "...Pretty much."
She raised a hand as a knife flew across the room and into her grasp as she looked down at her reflection along its surface, "I developed mine when I was younger, I-"
He leaned closer, "You what?"
The redhead flushed, looking away, "...Promise you won't laugh."
"Oh, come on! I can't be that-"
Her pinky finger shot toward his face, "Promise!"
The vessel raised his hands in surrender before she squeezed his finger and twiddled her thumbs right after, "I was walking with my mom, and we went past a jewelry store, and I thought... I'd look pretty with the stuff they had on display, and it-"
"Annnd iiiit?"
She just sighed, looking away, "As Nora would put it, the window went kablooey, and the next thing I know, I'm...a magnet. Mom just laughed it off, but she won't let me forget it happened."
Yuji just hummed, looking over her green earrings before glancing at the girl's bronze crown, "Ohhhh, I thought you were Greek or somethin' like that movie 300 where they-"
Pyrrha raised a hand, "Please use words I can understand!"
The vessel just shrugged with his usual smile, "I dunno why you think it's such a bad thing. It's cute that your mom bought you that stuff."
He kept talking even as she flustered, looking up at the ceiling, "Sorcerers don't get anything fancy like that. It's all family lines with us and who you're related to that gives you a shot of inheriting somethin' good. Remember when I mentioned Choso?"
"Your brother?"
His eyes sparkled, "Yeah! He's got wicked cool control over his blood, shoots it like a laser going pew-pew-pew-pew!"
"He...shoots his blood?"
"Yeah!"
Pyrrha paled, "...That sounds disgusting."
Itadori tilted his head, "Is it?"
*DING
A sudden noise caught his attention, "Oh, rice is done!"
She watched him blur into motion at nearly incomprehensible speeds, combining the bamboo mat, rice, a slim piece of salmon, and a slice of cucumber before rolling it into a perfect portion, beaming with pride as he showed off his results, "Tadah! Sushi! Japan is pretty famous for this stuff, ya know?"
A question mark appeared over his partner's head, "I thought your people liked ramen?"
Yuji died a little inside, remembering that Weiss said Ichiraku was the staple of their diet.
"...No comment."
His energy rebounded as he grabbed a pair of chopsticks, plucking the food up before holding it out to her, "Here, try it! Say 'Ahhhh.'"
Pyrrha's face lit up as she tried to back away, "Hold on, hold on, you can't just feed me stuff!"
"Why?"
His innocent expression panged her heart, "It's... it's embarrassing!"
"Is it? Me and Choso do this sorta thing all the time."
"Well, I'm not... I'm not your-"
Her face matched her hair at this point.
Pyrrha looked left, right, up, down, sideways, seeing no one before letting out a defeated sigh, "...Okay, just...make it quick."
Itadori didn't get what the big deal was, but just grinned up at her, "That's the spirit!"
He may or may not have flown it in like an airplane, which only made things worse.
She took a slow bite, her green eyes lighting up the second the chopsticks dropped, "Wow..."
Yuji's smile grew, "Right?"
"Can you...can you show me how to do that?"
Yuji squinted, "You wanna feed me?"
Her face exceeded her hair, "I-you...what?!"
The vessel just laughed, "Kidding, come on, I'll show ya!"
Pyrrha watched him rush off across the kitchen, taking a second to calm her nerves.
Yuji was too much for her heart sometimes.
Meanwhile, in the Goblin Corner
Nora and Ren sat beside each other at a table the ginger dragged all the way across their dorm, with her tapping her fingers on it, making an energized rhythm, "Soooo, how was your dayyyy?"
He stared at her, "...I waited for you to get out of detention."
"I mean the parts where I wasn't there, silly!"
"... We're always together."
She leaned in, "Aaaand? Did you miss me when we weren't?"
He didn't respond, just looking away.
The hammer user bit her lower lip, "You know it would be nice to see some appreciation around here. I work hard to put pancakes on the table!"
"...There's nothing on the table-"
"Because I ate them!"
Ren just looked so tired, "...What is happening right now?"
To his relief, Pyrrha poked her head in from the kitchen, only looking slightly frazzled for some reason, "Dinner's ready!"
The entire room vibrated as Nora materialized a fork and knife she had taped to the side of the table in case of emergency pancakes, pounding her fists against the surface, "BRING-IT-HERE."
Within moments, there were four plates set as Yuji came bouncing out of the kitchen, pausing at the doorway, watching as Pyrrha struggled to pick up her chopsticks, "You need some help with that?"
She tried to wave him off, "Oh, it's no big deal, I can mana-"
*FWOOM
He was gone in a flash, followed by an unholy sound of metal crunching and a sudden slice, followed by a door slamming shut as the sorcerer returned, handing his partner a freshly made set of metal sticks, "There, now you can use your magneto powers instead!"
"Where did you get-"
Pyrrha looked up to see his goofy potato smile, unable to resist the sheer innocence behind it, so she just took the things without any fuss, "...thank you."
Itadori's grin grew in victory, "Ah, it's no biggie!"
As the vessel plopped down beside the redhead, he watched Nora tear apart her plate, "Any good?"
She took a massive gulp, tears of joy welling up in her eyes as she pulled Ren in for a sideways hug, "...Everything is fabulous... the food...the atmosphere, everything's flawless!"
His muffled voice escaped in near silence, "That means...she likes it."
Yuji leaned over the table, "Are you good?"
Ren was disappearing by the second, "No."
Ignoring the quiet guy as he desperately reached an arm out for help, Pyrrha looked to her partner, "Where'd you learn to cook like this, Yuji?"
The sorcerer shrugged, putting his hands on his hips, "Nah, it's nothin'. Back home, I took care of myself mostly, so I got pretty good at this sorta thing."
She tilted her head, "What about your brothers?"
Itadori cupped his chin, "Ah, we never really lived together, you know? They're all way older than me. Heck, the only one I really did stuff with was Choso, but he's your typical big brother. Guy's gotta make sure all of us are doin' alright."
Pyrrha got bubbly, "Aww, he sounds sw- I mean-"
This time, Yuji stuck a hand up, "Ah-ah, you can say it! No shame in tellin' it like it is!"
She stared at him for a second before taking a breath, going for take two, "Okay...He...sounds sweet."
Yuji just gave her a pat on the shoulder, "Nice!... And honestly? Yeah, I didn't even know I had a brother, let alone nine of em' a year ago, but Choso's done so much for me, it feels like I've known him forever-"
He laughed, scratching his cheek, "Life's kinda weird like that, huh?"
Ren pulled himself from the abyss, taking a desperate breath, "You...You didn't know him?"
Nora chimed in, after stuffing a bunch of eggrolls in her mouth like a chipmunk, "Yeah, what gives Mr. Secret Pants!?"
Pyrrha just stared at her.
What?
The sorcerer leaned back, letting his palms slide along the floor, "I told ya, we're half-siblings. Each of us has a different parent and got raised in different places, but me and Choso have a sorta-"
Yuji started to hum, rubbing his temples, "You know how on like tv, they show twins having some weird connection? Me and Choso have something like that, but with sorcerers, it's kinda hard to explain...eventually, I just...knew he was my brother."
Ren sighed, taking a sip of his tea, now free from the oppressive ginger's grasp, completely unreadable, "That...must have been awkward."
The vessel blew air through his lips, "You don't know the half of it. We just got done beatin' the crap out of each other, then next thing I know, he's tellin' me we're family."
He happily smiled regardless, "Eh, it all worked out in the end...Never really thought I wanted... or needed a sibling, but I can't imagine life without the guy now that I know him."
Pyrrha almost fell into bubbles again, but a question popped into her head, "Wait, why were you two fighting in the first place?"
Yuji stiffened up for a second, briefly looking as uncomfortable as possible before waving it off, "It's just how life is for sorcerers. Someone's always tryna take someone outa the game, pullin' strings from the background to get their way, and the two of us got caught up in it...either way, I'm still glad we met; Choso's a real lifesaver, ya know?"
The vessel idly pictured his absent brother sitting at an empty spot at the table, wondering what he'd say about going to a school like this...ignoring that Choso was probably a lot older than Gramps, don't need to get specific here.
Itadori gave a self-satisfied nod, "He's kind of a muddy guy, a little quiet, like Ren-"
Lie continued to blankly stare at him while drinking his tea.
"But I bet you guys would really like him!"
Pyrrha chirped, a lightbulb burning over her head, "I'd love to talk to him if you want to-"
*CLANG
"...What was that?"
Yuji suddenly started sweating, "I didn't hear anything..."
*CRASH
The sorcerer suddenly got up and stretched, "Welllll, I'm gonna go...do the dishes, yeah...dishes-"
*FWOOM
He was gone in the blink of an eye, leaving his teammates confused as the sounds of clanging metal got louder and louder, with Pyrrha eventually leading the charge as they poked their heads around the corner, seeing the vessel pushed up against the bathroom door.
Her eye twitched when she saw water running out from under the door.
She looked down at the chopsticks still in her hand, "Yuji...where did you get the metal for these?"
"...Nowhere-"
*CLANG-CLANG-BWOOSH
The door started pushing outward, forcing the vessel to put even more force into holding it back as the hinges threatened to give way, "Hey, Pyr?"
"Yes?"
"Could you get me some paper tow-"
*BOOOOOOM
The door exploded in a tidal wave, sending a tsunami through their dorm, slamming straight into the vessel and carrying him off in a riptide. The trio clung to the walls for dear life as the sounds of glass shattering echoed in their room.
Yuji flailed against the current as it shot straight out of their balcony door, desperately kicking as he was dragged off to certain doom. Pyrrha was the first to take action, swan diving into the water, shooting straight forward, catching him by his wrist right as he fell over the edge.
The vessel was fighting against time, knowing if he fell down there, Goodwitch would pop out of the woodwork to give him a beating like she always did, "Never let go, Jack!"
The wooden frame bent and cracked as she held her partner afloat with every ounce of strength she had, "Who's Jack?! Never mind, I got you, I got you, Yuji!"
An evil voice spoke from over the redhead's shoulder as the long end of a hammer started poking into Itadori's face, "Oh, no, you don't!"
Pyrrha stared at her, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"
He looked at the ginger with pleading eyes, "Nora! Sister, help me!"
The stick started pushing him back, slackening the redhead's grip as Nora leaned in, her eyes twisted into sheer malice, "Long live the Fun King."
She pushed him off, sending the sorcerer cascading down to his doom, and all the while, Ren watched from the background in silence, "...Oh right...noooooooo...or something like that."
As Yuji fell, he crossed his arms, numbly singing a parody song he had heard a long time ago on some website about a block game, "That was when I ruled the land~."
His head dug a hole in the lawn when he hit the ground.
...
The next day
Team PYRN were currently waiting in an elevator in Beacon Tower, heading up to Ozpin's office for some cryptic reason.
The Director in question had sent each of them a message via their scrolls to varying degrees of detail...well, more like Pyrrha's and Ren's had words, and Yuji and Nora got cat gifs instead with captions telling them to follow their leader.
The ginger beat imaginary drumsticks against the wall as they traveled ever upward, "Wonder what he wants- doot-dootdootdootdootdootdoot-doot."
Yuji just hummed to the terrible music playing over the speakers, "Who knows?... With Gramps, it's either somethin' basic like he wants a hot chocolate, or the guy's gonna ask ya to run a marathon; there really isn't much in-between with him."
Pyrrha deadpanned, "You two didn't get into anything, did you?"
Yuji looked at Nora.
Nora looked at Yuji.
"Did we?"
The redhead almost fell over, "How do you...how do you not remember? You woke up twenty minutes ago!"
Ren dropped a hand on her shoulder, giving a reassuring pat, "...Do you know who you're asking that right now?"
The guy wasn't wrong. Putting the deadly combo of Pink and Orange in the vicinity of each other usually ended in them doing something stupid, like the time Yuji dared Nora to drink all of Oobleck's coffee in one go, and she started glowing yellow and running around at subsonic levels before getting sick.
Or the time the hammer user decided she REALLY wanted Ruby's cookies, then blamed it on Itadori, ending in him running for his life as a crying bundle of rose petals chased after him, swinging a scythe at him for two hours straight.
And you can't forget the time they got the bright idea that Weiss could make them some ice cream with her glyphs and thought throwing milk at her was a good move, ending with both of them flash-frozen in the middle of campus.
The invincible girl bonked her head off the wall in defeat, "...Why are you two like this?"
Yuji crossed his arms, taking a powerful stance as he instinctively flexed everything he had, "My other brother, Todo, once told me that the sound of the gion shoja bells…echoes the impermanence of all things. The colors of sala flowers…reveals the truth that the prosperous must decline. HOWEVER! WE ARE THE EXCEPTION!"
No one had a clue what he was talking about.
The vessel flexed an arm as Nora latched on with both her hands, swinging back and forth, "Just cause we're stupid now doesn't mean we can't be stupid later. Life's about doing everything till you get your fill, and I won't be satisfied till I've seen it all with you guys 'cause what we have is never gonna end!"
Nora got pumped up by the words of a guy she never met, instantly blurring into uncountable pull-ups, "Yeah! You tell 'em, Yuj!"
Pyrrha's eye twitched, stuck between wanting to slap herself in the face and feeling touched that her partner said something so profoundly kind, slumping over in defeat, "I...I...I can't win this...can I?"
Ren shook his head, giving her a pained look, the sunken look in his eyes telling of more horror than the redhead could imagine, "You don't win with Nora...you just do a little better each time-"
"...You do better at what exactly?"
He gave a forced smile, "Surviving."
The elevator door dinged as it opened, releasing the armored girl from their temporary prison and letting the team march through the entranceway into the Headmaster's office.
Ozpin was sitting at his desk as always, briskly typing at his computer, with Goodwitch hovering a little too close for comfort over his shoulder.
Yuji swore he could see sweat trickling down the guy's face. Guess that evil woman was on everyone's case, huh? Wait, wasn't Gramps in charge of this place?!
The Director adjusted his glasses, the light vaguely reflecting his eyes beneath their tinted surface, "Ah, team PYRN, punctual as ever, thanks to the efforts of Miss Nikos, I assume?"
The redhead awkwardly laughed, "Oh, I don't about all that-"
Nora puffed her chest up in pride, "Yeah! She didn't even have to tell me to brush my teeth today!"
As Goodwitch cringed, Ozpin clasped his hands together on his desk, "Is that right? Well...good for you, Miss Valkyrie."
The man kept his eyes on them, pulling up a mug of cocoa from out of a drawer in his desk, leaving Yuji to wonder if the guy just had a million cups hidden away in there.
He took a silent sip, "Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I've called you here today. It's nothing bad; I assure you, consider this...an opportunity to show your value to this institution."
Itadori tilted his head, "Whatcha mean, Gramps?"
Glynda growled but didn't say anything, having endured enough talks from the Headmaster to let it slide. Instead, she tapped along her scroll, allowing a screen to lower from behind the two, blocking out the windows as the room went dark.
The instructor adjusted her blonde hair as a map of the Kingdoms blipped into place, soon pointing her riding crop to the East, "Several days ago, we deployed a group of upperclassmen on a routine assignment, team CFVY otherwise known as 'coffee,' led by Coco Adel, to the mountains of Vale. They were told to examine a sudden cut in communications across the region and report their findings, but they failed to check in to their designated bullhead twice, leaving us in the dark."
Ozpin nodded, swiping a foamy mustache off his face with a thumb, "These types of tasks are hardly uncommon. As you know, the countryside is a land of bandits and Grimm. Any matter of things could have damaged such isolated pieces of equipment, but given their experience and overall skill level, CFVY's sudden silence is cause for concern."
Goodwitch nodded, "And that's where you come in. While under normal circumstances, first years require at least a term under their belts before being allowed to deploy on any assignment, but an exception has been made because of your composition and relative experience among your members."
The Director chimed back in, "You are to deploy to the same location as Miss Adel's group, locate them, and immediately notify us of their condition and overall progress. While we don't expect heavy resistance, bear in mind that anything could happen in these peripheral regions. As such, you will need to exercise extreme caution."
Pyrrha opened her mouth to speak, but Yuji cut her off, taking a step forward, "When do we leave?"
Ozpin smiled behind his hands, "Always in a rush to help someone in need, aren't you, Mr. Itadori?"
The sorcerer's expression hardened, "Yeah, with these kinds of things, it's better to get it done as soon as we can. Even if it's a fluke, it's better to be sure than find out the worst happened later on."
The invincible girl took a breath, "Is there anything we need to do beforehand, Professor?"
The Director shifted his gaze to her, "I believe that would be up to your discretion, Miss Nikos. As the leader, it'll be your duty to ensure the objective's completion and be mindful of your teammates' well-being...As your partner aptly said, time is of the essence. How long do you think it will take for your group to be ready?"
The armored girl paused, running imaginary numbers in her head before crossing her hands behind her back, "One hour."
With a curt nod, Goodwitch began typing out instructions on her scroll, "Your bullhead's been arranged. I recommend you use this opportunity wisely, not only for yourselves but to ensure the safety of your fellow Huntsmen and Huntresses; you are dismissed."
Pyrrha let out an unexpected sigh as the pressure lifted, glancing over her teammates as she calculated the best way to-
"Oh, is that Ruby out there?"
What?
"Mr. Itadori, get down from there this instant!"
She turned, following Goodwitch's shouts, seeing Yuji prying a window open as he perched a foot on the edge, and before she could stop him, the sorcerer shot out across the sky and over the campus, leaving her in shock.
A split second later, her hand shot to the side, catching Nora by her collar before she could follow him, steering the ginger out of the room and back the way they came.
As Glynda glared out the window, Ozpin took the opportunity to lean back in his chair, pouring a giant bag of marshmallows into his cup, "He does that quite a lot, doesn't he?"
The blonde's eye twitched, "You encourage it."
"Do I?"
The instructor's grip over her riding crop tightened just a bit, watching as the remnants of team PYRN disappeared with the closing of a door, "...Why are you doing this? There are far more capable, more experienced teams on hand for you to send."
Ozpin perched an elbow on his chair, leaning his cheek against his chin, "You tell me, after all, both of us have gotten to see what he can do firsthand."
She let out a sigh, knowing where the man was going with this, "And I thought I told you we aren't dragging his team into this. I don't care what kind of 'asset' you see him as. It doesn't justify putting any of their lives at risk."
The Director adjusted his glasses with the flick of a finger, his calculating gaze staring off toward his monitor, "That may be so, but life's an endless game of risk and mitigation. You can't step ahead without accepting the chance you might stumble and fall, but just because something might happen doesn't mean you shouldn't go through with it, so long as the odds are stacked in your favor."
Goodwitch crossed her arms over her chest, green eyes glaring down at him, "If that was the case, then you should be more than happy to wait a few weeks, even months if needed...rushing into things isn't normal for you, Ozpin. What's gotten you so frazzled?"
He looked to his assistant, his expression unreadable, "This is a war we're fighting, Glynda, and in any conflict, if there's an edge, a breakthrough, any opportunity to move an inch forward, you pursue it. I need to know what we've acquired and just what sort of box we've opened for ourselves."
The Headmaster went quiet for a moment, mulling something over, "I'm saying this from experience. Everything we've seen that boy do, every indescribable feat in defiance of the natural order, is the tip of an unknown iceberg, and I don't know how far down this goes."
Glynda walked around his desk to meet his stare head-on, "He might be ahead of his classmates, but that doesn't justify this kind of paranoia; I don't understand where this is coming from."
With the swipe of a finger, he pulled up an assorted array of footage, from the sorcerer's encounters with Grimm to even minor interactions with his classmates, spinning it for her to see, "He's still recovering, Glynda, that's what has me worried, because as the days go by, I can see that gap growing larger, and there just might come a time when even I can't handle him."
He lowered his glasses, meeting her eye to eye, "If my concerns are misplaced, you'll have every right to belittle me for it when it's all said and done, but I need to know what I'm working with so I can make a decision with every option available...not be forced to go with what's left because we weren't proactive."
She matched his stare for a moment, seeing the severity of his tone for herself before letting off a huff, looking straight toward the floor, "...Fine, have it your way...but I don't see what good it'll do sending him off to some wasteland on an errand."
He looked away, "I wonder...but-"
The Headmaster let off a sigh, running his hands along his empty mug, "...The night I met Itadori...I felt something truly awful, and I don't quite know how to describe it, but...I can't shake the feeling that there's something I don't know."
Ozpin went quiet, glancing out of a nearby window, "...I can't let this go until I find out what."
It made no sense.
Ozpin was a rational man, seeing everything the world could offer and more.
How long had it been since he was scared of something he couldn't explain?
All the while, Glynda stared at him, not knowing what he was talking about.
...
Meanwhile
Having forced her team to sit together outside, Ruby tried her best to look big and tall, "Okay, team RWBY, today we're going to work on communication!"
Yang pointed at the side of her head, "Awww, that's too bad, I can't ear, you Rube!"
Finger Guns.
"...please stop."
"No promises."
The scythe wielder just stared at the two remaining members, her face puffing up the longer they took to say anything, Blake cracked first, lazily waving a hand, "...yayyyyyy."
Weiss clicked her tongue in annoyance, "I don't see the point in doing something like this, I think we communicate just the right amount, we talk when we need to, and never el-"
*NYOOOOOOOOOOM
"HEY RUBY!"
A blur sent Weiss spinning as she shrieked in terror, turning into a whirlwind as a steam-covered figure emerged from the dust next to their leader, his sudden appearance making her jump straight into the sky like a frightened cat.
"YUJI?!"
Blake only seemed mildly annoyed that the sudden gust of wind changed the page of her book.
Out popped the vessel, happily smiling down at his friends before pausing to take a look at them, with only Yang seeming indifferent to his sudden presence, giving him a two-fingered wave, "Sup, dude?"
He grinned back at her, "Nothin', what's got you guys lookin' like you saw a ghost?"
Weiss guffawed after slowing to a stop, falling back as the world refused to stop spinning, "YOU, YOU DID THIS!"
He tilted his head, "I did? But I'm not dead, ya goof."
Itadori started patting himself down, "At least I don't think I am-"
The heiress just slumped over, staring up at the sky, "You're the one who brought up ghosts...not us."
Ruby seemed to come down from her terror-induced high, hair only slightly sticking up all over the place, "What just...oh, hey, Yuji! Need something?"
The sorcerer beamed, "Yeah! See, me and my team are goin' on some mission, just wanted to say, if I die, Yang gets my stuff!"
The blonde flashed a thumb, "Nice."
Yuji couldn't help but be impressed with how she just went with things.
Weiss deadpanned, not even looking at him, "...What stuff? Isn't he technically homele- OOF!"
Blake's book slammed into her stomach at Mach 2, knocking the wind out of her.
Ruby went pale, "WHAT!? Don't say stuff like that!"
Yuji tilted his head, "Why?"
"Because...because you shouldn't, okay?!"
His face became chiseled as he nodded like a philosopher, "I see...I don't get it."
Yang tried not to laugh, hopping to her feet as she slung an arm over her sister's shoulder, "Nah, don't worry about Rube, she's just a worry wort-"
"It's not a bad thing!"
The bombshell ignored her, giving the guy an amused look, "Anything else you wanna give me?"
Ruby thrashed around in vain, "EWWWW!"
Yuji's confused stare said more than words could ever hope.
"I just said you can have all my stuff, didn't I?"
A swing and a miss.
The blonde closed her eyes, taking a long breath, "...Yeah, I'm not winning this one today."
What?
Shaking off her annoyance, Yang's smirk returned, "So, why me, Pink stuff? Got some cool secrets you can't share till you're long gone?"
Blake started to focus on the conversation again, lowering her mystery-roman...mystery novel.
Yuji waved her off, "Nah, I wish, that'd be so cool! I just figured I'd give my stuff to the funnest person I know, is all."
She mock punched him in the chest, "Dang right I am, you gotta good eye for talent."
He hummed, tapping a foot before snapping a finger, "Would eye make a good pupil."
She snorted, about to put her magically appearing sunglasses on, but paused, giving him a playful look, "Here-"
The bombshell reached out, putting the specs on his face, laughing while he looked around, trying to squint through the darkness, "You can gimme those when you get back, got it?"
Although Ruby just saw question marks, Yuji understood the meaning all too well.
With an energized thumbs-up, the sorcerer nodded, "You got it! Well, I'll leave you guys to it. See ya!"
*NYOOOOOOOOOOM
As dust exploded around them, Ruby just stared at Yang, still caught in her hold, "You are so weird."
The fighter shook her head, "Maybe, but you'll get it someday-"
"When I'm older?"
That earned a nod from her big Sis, "When you're older."
...
Hours later
Sat on the floor of a still-moving Bullhead, Pink, and Orange faced off in the deadliest competition known to man. Their leader and her indifferent assistant had long since given up on trying to make them buckle in; such things were trivial with so much on the line.
Yuji was as stern as a mountain, "Are you ready to risk it all, Nora?"
The bubbly girl nodded, her features as fine as the greatest artisanry the world had to offer, "I am, but the real question is...are you?"
3
2
1
"Let's go!
"Right!"
*CLAP-CLAP-CLAP
"Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake baker's man-
Bake me a cake as fast as you can!"
The two had been practicing for hours, with Itadori teaching her the finest things the world had to offer; such a scholar he was, and such a great student the ginger was that they were almost equaled after a mere moment of her observations.
Their hands moved like lightning, slamming against one another in an endless tug of war, their lives, their pride, their very honor on the line, refusing to be the one who wouldn't have enough for baby and me.
Pyrrha just watched the two in silent awe, "I almost can't believe they're not related somehow."
Ren leaned his head against the cold metal, facing the ceiling, "...I said the same thing night one."
The redhead glanced at him, "You never did tell me how you two met him."
The black-haired Huntsman shrugged, "...There isn't much to it. Nora ran off, and next thing I know, she's eating his snacks and messing with his stuff-"
He went quiet for a second, "...And he was fine with it."
Pyrrha raised a brow, leaning an arm against her shield, "So? That just sounds like Yuji."
His hands opened and closed, "...Living with Nora isn't always easy-"
He saw the look of immense pain and understanding the girl gave him.
"But, the biggest hassle is getting people to like her...not everyone wants to put up with us for more than a few days but with him?...I don't know, he's-"
The invincible girl laughed, "Different?"
He nodded, "...Accepting is a better word, I think, and...I know it's not easy for you, but thanks for...putting up with us."
Pyrrha smiled at him, "No one's putting up with anyone; we're friends, aren't we?"
He didn't respond, so she clasped her hands together, "Yuji and Nora might be a little goofy, you might be a bit quiet, and I...I don't really know how to act around all of you quite yet, but I think we're better off like this, don't you think?... Things make more sense in the time we've been together than they have for me in a long time."
A slight smile crossed Lie's face as he looked out the window, watching the fields of snow pass by, "It's kind of hard to stay still with a guy like him as your partner, huh?"
She shrugged, "And I'm sure it's difficult getting any sleep when yours wants a midnight snack all the time."
He raised a finger, "Five midnight snacks, with syrup-"
She chimed in, "Mixed with chocolate sauce?"
Ren's smile grew a bit, "...Something like that."
A voice echoed over the intercom, "Destination approaching on your left, ETA five minutes, be ready to drop!"
The moment didn't last long, ending with Pyrrha assembling her team in varying amounts of time.
Ren was fine.
Yuji had no equipment to speak of.
Nora was...Nora, having snuck on more snacks than she could hope to carry, the leader was forced to help stuff chocolate into pockets she didn't know existed.
...
The sorcerer was the first to exit, landing on the snow-covered ground with a crunch, looking off through his newly acquired shades across the landscape.
Yuji hummed, putting a hand over his forehead for added zoom, seeing nothing but barren rocks and yet more frost, "Man, we really are in the boonies, huh?"
*Bzzzt
As his teammates landed beside him, the vessel pulled out his scroll, reading a message he must have missed hours ago from Gramps, telling him to keep the device on his...belt?
Why?
It was then he had the genius idea to keep reading, realizing they needed to record their mission progress...weird.
He shrugged, dropping any minor concerns, fastening the thing in place as the bullhead took off into the sky, leaving them isolated in this far-off corner of the kingdom.
The vessel turned to their leader, resting the back of his head on his hands as he looked her over, "Hey Pyr, can I ask ya somethin'?"
The redhead tilted her head with a mixed expression caught between serious and casual, "Sure, you can...no...I mean, shoot."
Yuji gave her a cheeky grin, "You sure you ain't gonna aim your gun again?"
Pyrrha turned red, pointing a finger at him, "That was one time!"
He shrugged off her stare, "Right, right, anyways, I was gonna ask, what's the plan for findin' these guys? I mean-"
Itadori stepped back, holding his arms out as miles of wasteland stretched out on all sides, "We got a lotta ground to cover!"
She sighed, watching her breath escape as steam, "Welllll...we know the communications tower was somewhere to the North, and given all this-"
"SNOW!"
Ren was the first casualty as a massive snowball the size of a boulder slammed into his head, knocking him clean over like a bowling ball.
Pyrrha guffawed, "Nora!"
The ginger started whistling, "I didn't do it!"
She said this when they were the only people out here for miles.
In a second, the bubbly girl was pulling her partner up in a sing-song, "Renny, the Snowman, was a very grumpy soul!"
He muffled something incomprehensible through several pounds of slush.
Pyrrha shook her head in disappointment before looking back at her partner, "I'm thinking the best course of action would be for the four of us to approach the tower and go from there."
Itadori bit his cheek, bouncing on his heels, "You sure? We're kinda missin' a lot of ground if we just skip all the other stuff."
Before the leader could respond, he pointed at the rideline, "If I get up there, I can probably get a better view and see if I can spot these guys."
The redhead bit her cheek, "Getting separated out here isn't a good idea, Yuji, there could be Grimm or anything else wandering around."
He flashed his usual goofy smile. "Nah, nah, I'd be right up there where you can see me. That way, we won't miss em' by mistake. Figure the less time this takes, the better, ya know?"
Pyrrha grumbled, wanting to tell him no, but after everything she had seen the guy do, maybe she could let it fly...and it totally wasn't the innocent look on his face stopping her from saying those magic words.
She slumped over, "Okay, fine-"
"Gotcha! I'll get start-"
The redhead shot a finger in his face, "But you stay where I can see you. No wandering off!"
"When do I-"
"Always, Yuji, always!"
The sorcerer started to shrink as the tall girl hovered over him, "You always say you're going to do something, then next thing I know, you're off doing something else!"
He opened his mouth, but her bright green eyes were too intimidating, "I'm... excitable?"
The invincible girl sighed, "Just stay safe...please...I worry."
Yuji just met her concern with his usual grin, "Ah, you don't gotta worry about me, Pyrrha. This ain't my first mission, not even close!"
"I know...but-"
The vessel casually dropped a hand on her shoulder, a faint image of his brother flickering into his mind, "Don't die, okay?...and when we're back, you can hound me about it all ya want."
Pyrrha blinked, "...What do you mea-?"
"See ya!"
Yuji was already gone, racing up the side of the mountain as if the incline meant nothing to him, leaving her there to watch him disappear.
...
Some time later
Yuji let off a sigh as he scanned the horizon, having lost his causal demeanor to the utterly neutral gaze expected from the sorcerer.
Rocks and snow cracked and crunched beneath his sneakers, with every step taken making him question how they were meant to find anything in a place like this.
Sorcerers could track Cursed Spirits and each other because they left energy as evidence unless trained to hide it, but as far as he was concerned, Itadori was just walking through a blank slate of dead Earth.
Even with his enhanced senses, finding anything in a wild place like this was going to take a lot of effort, but if anyone had the sheer experience with the impossible to pull it off, it was him.
Yuji took a leap across a gap between the rocky platforms, staying utterly calm as the ground caved beneath him as he landed, sliding downhill to a stop below, visualizing what he would do in this team's circumstances.
If they were newbies like his team, they'd take the easiest path forward and walk the trails, but if the sorcerer was a gambler like Hakari Senpai, he'd shoot for the big three: hardest chances, hardest process, and the hardest reward, not giving the odds a single thought. The higher the bracket, the more you gotta prove yourself. They'd take a road less traveled.
His eyes scanned across the mountain tops, honing in on a crudely cut path cutting straight through the high ground, and the sorcerer took off in pursuit.
The moment he arrived, Yuji looked down, seeing faint bootprints in the snow, leading off into the hills; he opened his mouth to call out to his team, unaware of the sounds of shifting metal hidden behind the snowstorm.
He tried waving them down, "OY! I FOUND SOM-"
*BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT
An unholy rattling shook the mountain top as he was engulfed in an endless spray of fire dust rounds, lasting for well over a few seconds before the gunfire dwindled down as a pair of stylish shades poked out of the snowbank, waiting for any movement but seeing none.
A timid voice echoed from nearby. "Another one gone?"
The machinegun owner nodded, "Another one gone."
A figure blitzed into reality right above her, "Oh, I know this one! Another one bites the Dust! Aww, Yang's not-"
*BZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZT
The beret-wearing Huntress raised her weapon in the blink of an unseen eye, opening fire without so much as a warning.
To the girl's shock, the guy just blankly stared at the minigun, seemingly more fascinated that it was coming out of a purse than recognizing any sort of danger, but before a single shot could land-
*FWING-FWING-FWING-FWING-FWING
Every round was intercepted and split in two by some unseen force, the direct fire parting like a sea of fire around him until the one with long rabbit ears tackled her leader from the side, "Coco, stop! He's from Beacon!"
Her itchy trigger finger stopped as the girl cocked her head to the side, looking the vessel over, "He is?... Then what's with the goofy getup?"
Yuji deadpanned, "Oy, my clothes ain't goofy, lady."
This is seriously the hill he chose to die on, on top of the mountain he almost did just die on.
Coco clicked her tongue, "Tch-tch-tch, black on bright red...and the sneakers too? Honey, unless you're in some goth-jock phase, ditch that fit and I'll hook you up."
She flicked her own specs, letting the sun glint off of them, "I do like the shades though, so, points."
From inside their little bunker, the shaky voice called out, "Are we seriously doing this right now!?... Can we...can we please do this inside?"
The short-haired Huntress shrugged, reaching a hand out to grab the sorcerer by his shirt, "Eh, fair point, Little Rabbit, c'mere short stack."
"Woah!"
The entrance opened for a split second before the vessel tumbled inside, landing on his back against the cold floor as he stared up at the ceiling, the quiet voice ringing out as a pair of long ears twitched overhead, "Are you alright?"
He waved them off, "Yeah, all goo-"
Itadori paused as he got a good look at her, humming in thought as she awkwardly looked around, "W-what?"
After a few more seconds of torture, Yuji snapped a finger, "Oh! You're that girl from the lunchroom, right?"
Coco's unseen eyes widened a bit, "Waiiiit...Vel, is he that guy you were tellin' us about? The one who beat the tar outa Winchester?"
The rabbit only gave a nod, and with that, the fashionable Huntress flashed the guy a smile, swaying her purse to the side as sparkles rained off her, offering him a hand, "Well, why didn't you say so?"
She grabbed his hand before he could respond, giving him a confident grin, "Coco Adel, leader of this little bunch."
Yuji looked up, realizing that this girl was really tricked out in jewelry, to the point where even Kugisaki didn't even hold a candle...and she was tall, super tall...nice.
With a long tan shirt and dark pants along with some weird girdle around her waist, the leader had more accessories than the guy could comment on, with necklaces, scarves, fingerless gloves, heck, he even saw little chains wrapped around her knees. The sorcerer could only wonder how long it took to get ready for the day with all that on.
She hauled him to his feet with ease as he gave both of the girls a casual grin, "Yo! Yuji Itadori, nice to meet ya!"
Soon he was scratching the back of his head, "You guys are parta that team...ah crap, I forgot the name...it's that brown drink...Cocoa?"
The brunette gave a two-finger salute, "That's me."
"No, not you-you, the team-you!"
The Huntress turned to her partner, "I think your knight in shining armor's got a few screws loose."
Velvet blustered, "Coco, don't be mean!"
She raised her hands defensively, "I'm not. I just call it like it is. You know what I'm about!"
Velvet grumbled but looked off toward the vessel in a shy huff, "We're...team CFVY...if that helps."
Yuji stared at her with a strange look, "...Why are you British?"
"I'm what?"
Coco waved a manicured hand in her friend's face, "Save for the sweet-talk for later, Vel."
"I'm not-"
"Later."
While the rabbit Faunus shut down, the leader smirked at her annoyance before turning to face their new guest, posting up against the chilled walls, "Well, short stack, if I were a guessin' girl, you're out here to get us home, right?"
When he gave her a nod, she let off a sigh, "Figured. Sorry about shootin' at ya, but you know, it hasn't been an easy few days...cool semblance though, never saw someone cut through my rounds before."
Yuji shrugged, waving around at the dirt and snow walls surrounding them, with tunnels going further into the system, "Nah, no biggie, stuff happens, but I gotta ask, what's with the...trench thing you got going on right now?"
Seriously, it felt like he was in one of those Great War shooters.
Coco huffed, throwing her scarf back over her shoulder, waving him along, "Been askin' that same question since we got here. Come on, I'll give ya the grand tour."
With the vessel following her through a maze of hallways, the leader piped up, "I appreciate you helping Vel out; she's not real good at confrontation."
Yuji tilted his head, "Who?"
The Huntress's shades dropped, her mouth hanging open, "...The only other girl here?... The one ya got into a fight ove-...Hold up, do you seriously not know who she is?"
The leader groaned, "Vel, I told ya a thousand times, you gotta at least try and talk to people."
The Faunus stuttered, "I-I tried, I swear!"
Coco just shook her head, not believing a word her awkward friend said, before looking back to the vessel. "Yeah-yeah, anyway, the girl with the bunny ears is Velvet, but I just call her Vel 'cause it bothers her~."
"...why?"
"Because reasons Vel, because reasons."
With a fashionable shrug, the beret wearer continued, "This job was supposed to be easy, ya know? In and out, look cool as hell, cha-ching all around, but things went bust."
Walking past a series of small gaps her purse had stuck through the walls to shoot out of, she briefly observed the cold world outside, "Never even made it to that stupid tower; one minute we're walkin', and the next, we're getting shot at."
Yuji poked his head out next to hers, having to stand on his tiptoes and more to match the girl's insane height advantage, "From where?"
Coco blew air through her lips, "Question of my life, dude, but there wasn't much of a choice; it was either dig in or run around like idiots trying to find these guys, and they sure aren't letting us leave...I dunno what the deal is, but something's going on here."
Itadori shrugged, "Weird, I didn't see anyone on my way up here. Maybe they left?"
She scoffed, "Doubt it, sorry to say, but they probably just wanted to get your group trapped here with us. Wait for the storm to pick up, and they'll be around."
The Huntress crossed her arms, "It's been the same thing for days, weather takes a turn, and there they are, never gettin' close but stayin' far enough away to remind us they're around...probably some bandits thinking they'll make a quick buck capturing a few students."
Itadori gave a slow nod, "Gotcha...well, if I had to guess, they're probably tryna starve you guys out or somethin'-"
*GRRRRRR
Velvet looked away in shame, "...Sorry."
Itadori couldn't help but pity his seniors' plight...if only he brought some-
A lightbulb dinged over his head.
"I'll be right back!"
"...Wha-"
*FWOOOOOM
The sorcerer vanished, kicking up a tidal wave of snow in his wake as he raced off down the tunnels, disappearing from sight.
Up above, Pyrrha kept calling out her partner's name, getting no response, "Yuuuuuujiiii!-Yuuuuuujiiii!"
Soon, the girl slumped over, letting off a sigh as the rest of her team meandered around nearby, "I hope he's alright...where could he have gotten to?"
Ren shrugged, "...You know him, he's probably...around."
Nora happily nodded, raising a finger like a scholar, "Mhm, if I know cotton candy buddy, then he's got something cookin', or he's a fraud!"
*RRRRRRRR
The ground shifted and rumbled as the trio looked around, weapons raised for any threat that might-
*CRACK
Two hands shot out of the snow, grabbing the ginger by her ankles as a tan face emerged, giving her a creepy smile, "Fooouuund you."
"Eh?"
"WAHHHHHHHH!"
Nora dissapeared beneath the slush, leaving a crater as her friends stood by, not sure if they should be annoyed or just expect this from the sorcerer at this point.
Pyrrha was the first to take the plunge, sliding into the tunnel, only to see Yuji rapidly pushing Nora off into the distance. With Ren following behind, she let off a huff and ran after the vessel.
Itadori wasted no time, rushing back in with a whirlwind of frost. The vessel skidded to a stop in front of his upperclassmen, holding Nora by her shoulders like she was a doll, "You guys are hungry, right?"
Coco flicked her shades, looking the still-hovering hammer user over, "Not enough to eat that."
Nora guffawed, "Excuse you, I'll have you know that I am a snack!"
She was somehow taking an issue with this.
Without missing a beat, Yuji adjusted his grip, his goofy grin growing, as he rattled Nora like a piggy bank, "Whatcha hidin' from the class, Nor-Nor?"
Her face grew vicious, "...Yuji, don't you dare."
"Noraaaaa."
Suddenly, she was wearing a mustache made of snow, "Do your worst, coppa, I ain't saying nothin' to no one!"
His brown eyes flashed with power, "Then I think it's time for...the shakey-shake."
Coco just stared at him, not having a clue what this guy was on about, "The what?"
Nora turned into a whirlwind going up and down so fast it left afterimages as snacks flew out of her in every direction.
Coco and Velvet could only watch in disbelief as the items continued to fly in the tens, if not hundreds, leaving literal mountains of candy on all sides of the tunnel.
The Faunus was the first to stutter, "W-Where does she put it all?"
The rumbling came to an end as Yuji gave them a haunted look, "No one knows for sure."
Despite enduring what was easily an eight on the earthquake magnitude scale, Nora came bouncing off happy as ever, "Again-again!"
Coco just rolled with it, "Yo, Yatsu...Fox, grub's here!"
Seconds later, a mass of copper hair poked into the room, a relaxed voice echoing out as they stared at one of the walls, "Snacks? I can't believe my eyes!"
Yuji tilted his head, following the guy's line of sight, "What?"
Coco just shook her head, "Eugh, Doesn't that bit ever get old to you, Fox?"
The scar-covered Huntsmen shrugged, waving a dark hand in dismissal as he shot her a grin, "Nothin' gets boring to me, like how you're just as gorgeous as the day I first laid eyes on y-OOF!"
Her handbag slammed into his gut, sending him tumbling into the pile, soon disappearing beneath the mass of candy, "Ignore him. He just likes to joke about his disability-"
Fox poked his head out, "Yeah, Dis-ability-to crack sweet lines."
Yuji was seeing sparkles, holding out a fist, "Nice one!"
The guy just blankly looked at the sorcerer, moving his hair to expose his white eyes, "I'm blind, dude-"
Itadori froze, guilt overriding him, "Ah shoot, sorr-"
"Pfft-"
Fox fist-bumped the vessel, "Just cause I can't see doesn't mean I can't tell what's going on, we're good."
Coco rolled her unseen eyes, "Can't you be normal for, like, five minutes?"
"I dunno, can you read clocks? Cause I sure can't."
The fashionable Huntress grumbled, slamming a fist to the side as it bounced off a new arrival without even budging him, "Touche...at least I got you for some normal time, huh, Yats?"
Yuji literally needed to crane his neck up to see this dude, who was...kinda ordinary looking, with green robes, brown pants, and black shoes, but was like seven feet tall...seriously, was everyone in this country taller than him?
Well...at least he was taller than Ruby and Weiss...that was something.
Looking toward Itadori, Coco waved the giant guy over, "This is Yatsuhashi. He's not much of a talker, but he's a gentle giant, ain't ya, big guy?"
Yuji gave him a two-finger salute, "Yo."
He got a nod and nothing else.
"There you two are!"
Pyrrha and Ren came skidding into the already close-quarters area, sending a concerned glare at Yuji and his snack accomplice, "You could've waited, you know?"
Coco let off a sigh, hardly able to move from how close quarters things were getting. She raised a hand at the redhead before the team could get into it, "Be like the snow and cool down, chili pepper, let's take this somewhere else before Velvet has a freakout."
The Faunus was already curled up in a ball in her own little world.
Pyrrha just cocked her head to the side, "Chili pepper?"
Yuji gave her his trademarked grin, "Yeah! You know...red hot chili pepper?"
She grumbled, staring down at him, leaving Yuji at a loss, "...you know...cause it's red...like you...ha-ha...ha?"
The grumbling continued, "...someday...I'm going to give you a nickname and see how you like it."
"I didn't even make this one!"
She walked off, leaving him in the dust, not sure if she was mad or what.
Yuji seriously didn't understand women.
...
Later
The group had settled into one of the many side rooms Yatsuhashi had dug during his spare time, seemingly making the entire system by hand for no reason other than he didn't want to talk to anyone.
They had gone through their introductions, and CFVY got their first meal in days, but Coco seemed hesitant about ruining her "figure."
Nora leaned forward against her knees, "Come onnnn, you know you want the sugary goodness!"
The leader huffed, "And risk ruining these clothes? In your dreams, sister."
Pyrrha chimed in, "Sorry we didn't think about bringing any real food for you guys."
Her pout made the fashionable girl stutter, "Hey, come on, don't make me out to be the picky one here!"
Fox chuckled, "But you are."
She pointed a finger in his face, "Shut."
Nora giggled, digging a hand through her jacket sleeve, pulling out an entire pancake from who knows where, "I got this one just for youuuu."
Coco tried not to gag while the ginger kept shoving the soggy thing in her face, "Oh my-bleh! Is that even safe to eat?!"
Ren leaned his head back as snow from the wall landed on his dark hair, "Fifty-fifty... if she made it today, you're probably good. Anything over three days, I'd pass on."
"...and...how old is that?"
Nora squinted, letting out a violent hum, "Hmmmmmmmm, I dunno!"
Her teeth slammed down on it, and everyone watched her face turn violently green, "...a week."
*NYOOOM
She raced out of the room, followed by sounds no one wanted to describe.
Coco shuddered, "Well, I think my appetite's pretty gone. I dunno about you guys, but I just wanna go home and...shower away how gross that made me feel."
Pyrrha held her shield in her lap, looking down at her reflection, "I don't see us walking down with no issues, and the last thing we want is to get caught out in the open."
"Preachin' to the choir on that one."
Yuji's face slumped against his palm as he sat beside his partner, "Well, waitin' here isn't doing us any good. Why don't we just go get 'em before they get us?"
Coco shrugged, "Easier said than done. They only show up when they feel like it and are gone pretty soon after, just remindin' us that they're watching."
"Yeah! And that's more reason to go beat the tar outa them when they aren't expectin' it. We just gotta catch em' off guard before they can slip away!"
The invincible girl looked at him, quirking a brow, "You know...that's actually not a bad idea-"
Coco leaned closer, "Oh? Whatcha thinking?"
"Well...think about it. They've done this so many times before, they might not expect this next one to be any different...we can use that...how far off do they usually stop from here?"
Velvet cautiously spoke up, twiddling around with a camera in her hands, "...When the storms get really bad...usually fifty meters...or so, at least..from what we can see."
Yuji's eyes widened, "Dang, you got a good eye for detail!"
She gave a faint smile, holding up her little device, "...well...you know...I like taking pictures."
The redhead took the information in, then nodded at the gentle giant leaning against the entranceway, too big to fit in the room, "Yatsuhashi...how long does it usually take for you to dig a tunnel?"
Fox snorted, Chucking a snowball at the guy, who just ducked out of the way, "The big dude? He's the man when it comes to stuff like that. He'll clear ya a path in half an hour if you let him get at it."
Nora poked her head in, drool coming off her face, with a snowy eye patch on her face, "Yarrr with Nora's help...it be fifteen minutes or less deary, or me name ain't-oh God!"
She turned green again before disappearing off into the hallway.
Pyrrha gave a little smirk, dragging a finger along the snowy floor, "Let me show you what I'm thinking."
...
Sometime later
With everything ready, it just meant waiting for the right opportunity to strike.
Like clockwork, within a few hours, a sudden blizzard seemed to roll in, blanketing the entire mountain range in a dense fog of frost.
Yuji waited with his eyes closed, listening in as the sounds of distant footsteps crunched overhead, poised to lash out from one of the many tunnels the dynamic duo of quiet and large and loud and small made in such a short amount of time.
"You nervous?"
He zoned back in, looking up to see Pyrrha standing in front of him with a concerned look on her face. All Itadori could give was a passive shrug, "Nah, you get used to this sorta thing after a while, you'll see."
He smiled up at his partner, "You worry a lot, don't ya, Pyr?"
She frowned a little, "You don't?"
Yuji took a breath, shaking his head in denial, "Of course I do, but...we all have a role to fill in this, and I learned a while ago that you just can't be everywhere at once. No use frettin' over things you can't control."
The armored girl just sighed, "It's not that easy for me..."
Yuji really didn't have an answer for that. This was one of those things you couldn't express through words but through experiences...it was just a hard reality you needed to accept after losing enough people.
He nodded, "It never is, but you gotta learn to trust that people can handle stuff on their own-"
The footsteps above started to grow distant, making the sorcerer brace himself for what was to come, "It's time."
The plan was pretty straightforward, but they only had a few people on hand who could pull this first part off without making much noise; even in a blizzard, gunshots made lots of noise, and they needed someone to make sure the other exits weren't being watched.
'You ready, little guy?'
Yuji shivered as a foreign voice echoed in his head. He seriously did not like being mentally linked with yet another person but pushed past it for the sake of the mission.
How Fox did something like this, Itadori had no idea, but the two needed to communicate on the move, so here they were...brain buddies...yay.
'Yeah...I'll head up first.'
'Be my guest. You're seein' for two after all.'
Yuji briefly paused, deciding not to respond to that.
After all, with Fox, it was more like three.
The ground burst open as Yuji jumped straight through the thin top layer of soil, immediately getting bombarded with freezing wind, reducing his vision to a few feet at best.
Fox spoke again in his head, 'Well...what's up, Doc?"
The sorcerer squinted, trying to find where the entrances should be, taking a slow breath of cold air-
'Hold on...I don't-'
*Bump-Bump
The moment he exhaled, something felt off.
Yuji raised a hand, looking around in all directions, an old realization burning into his mind.
The wind dancing on his skin...it wasn't natural.
It was too preplanned...too organized...he could see it...straight lines going off in one direction toward them from one point of origin, something only a sorcerer trained at noticing the finest details imaginable could pick up on...and they were coated in something faint, almost invisible.
Those blue and black flames.
That was-
His breath escaped as steam, his unseen eyes widening, "That flow...it's...then that means we're...stuck in the middle of their technique-"
'In the middle of their what?'
Yuji whirled on his heels in the blink of an eye, "STAY INSIDE!"
*CRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
The ground around him exploded as a pillar of ice materialized out of nothing, slamming into the vessel's stomach with so much force that it sent him hurling off into the maelstrom, helplessly watching as his allies scrambled to the surface to look for him, seeing shadows lurking toward them as he sailed off for who knows how far.
Itadori was hurled around the storm like a ragdoll, reinforcing every inch of his body as jagged bits of ice slashed across him, eventually flinging the vessel over the skies, crashing down through the tree line as shattered bark rained down around him, going straight through a rotten trunk as he rolled into a crouch as wooden shrapnel rained down across the landscape.
His breath escaped as a slow stream, utterly calm as silence reigned supreme around him on all sides, catching movement along the corners of his eyes, only for it to disappear the second he turned to face it.
A bird with dark feathers circled overhead, its calls the only thing accompanying the sorcerer in this strange land.
The wilderness was dead around him, a world of brown trees without a single leaf to their name, with every square inch of grass, dirt, and rock coated in a fine layer of snow and ice.
This feeling running through his veins, as if he instinctively knew a threat was nearby, could only mean one thing...something was using cursed energy...even if it felt diluted, it was there, morphing the storms out of seemingly nothing.
The bird landed nearby, its shrill cries going silent, seeming to pluck at its feathers. While benign to almost everyone else, Yuji was no fool, able to see the burning fire deep inside, morphed and twisted into its current form.
He glared at it, "You can stop pretending. I know what you are."
It stopped, not moving, not twitching, not so much as batting a wing.
The Raven stared back with red eyes.
...
There we go; now, hopefully, I can beat the plot going nowhere allegations, and people will let me have my fun.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter; take it easy, and I'll see you all for the fateful encounter.
A maiden who stole her power meets a vessel that contains it. Survival of the fittest meets a protector of all human life. What's gonna happen?
Let's find out.
Peace!
And if there isn't another chapter before the holiday, then I wanna wish you all a Merry Christmas from the bottom of my heart!
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/WxCAZ8NjVY