Yua

“Can I kill them?” - Yua

## Appearance

Yua is a 6’8” tall Chimera Ant with white medium length hair featuring a curled tuft at the top of her head, two spliced tufts on both sides, and curved locks that fall to her shoulders. She has round, pink eyes, brown skin, and a muscular build. Numerous scars, large and small, can be seen in all over her body. She is also noted to have a frequent unsettling stare and constant smile. Her grey arms and feathered legs are segmented like most other Chimera Ants, and she sports black condor-like wings with an enormous wingspan. She wears a half of her Family’s banner as a scarf, which is pink and black with half a blue heart. She also wears a vest divided into pink and black halves.

## Personality

Yua is extremely protective and self-sacrificing. If one of her companions were to get hurt by another, she will fly into a rage and attempt to kill the perpetrator, only stopping if there’s intervention or the said companion calms her down. She has no concept of self-preservation, as she will recklessly charge into battle and sacrifice herself if it means she will protect her companion(s). She always puts the needs of her companions above herself, as once she offered to pay a high price of 10 gold to heal Everan’s broken arm.

She is also violent and bloodthirsty, her first instinct and solution being to kill. She is very apathetic towards her victims, only chasing the adrenaline high that comes from battle and hunting. Depending on her mood and situation, she will either kill the target as efficiently as possible or kill them in the most gruesome way possible, reveling in the blood and gore. Despite her violent tendencies, she tries her best to be compassionate and friendly towards strangers before deciding if they’re worth killing. This comes from Nozomi’s attempts to teach her empathy, which was somewhat successful. She will never kill or torture her companions unless they have betrayed her family.

Yua develops an extreme attachment and loyalty to those she deems “family.” To be considered family, it depends on how she feels about a person; usually it’s when she’s known them for a long period of time. So far, she has only two “priorities” (favorite companions): Nozomi and Everan. She would never betray her family, believing the action to be the most shameful and dishonorable thing a person could ever commit. When she tore her scarf in order to save Kyouma from his death, she felt she had betrayed her lost Family and fell into a dissociative state. With Everan, she once took dream negating drugs in effort to forget her lost Family and relieve herself of guilt, shame, and regret.

Yua is observant and a woman of few words, preferring to watch and listen to her companions. Her idea of bonding is serving others and making them happy, and quality time involving non-violent activities is most likely spent in silence or a one-sided conversation with her. However, she enjoys conversing with those she loves, such as her lost Family or Everan.

## Skills and Weaknesses

### Nen

**Sun Ray:** Yua fires a concentrated ray of light, searing through her target.

**Suncloak:** Yua envelops any body part with a firey aura.

**Fireball:** A large ball of flames is created and thrown down on her enemies, exploding and damaging anything in its blast radius.

## Backstory

### The Colony

Yua was born somewhere in a forestry area on the Dark Continent, growing up as an officer serving her Chimera Ant Queen. She knew nothing but bloodshed, necessary to serve, feed, and protect the Queen. However, she performed her duties with strict diligence and apathy—only the Queen mattered to her. Everything else, including herself, was secondary.

Then the day before the King was born, the colony fell under enemy attack. Long stalks of an orange fungus sprouted from almost every Chimera Ant’s neck, especially the ones of lower rank. Their eyes became completely blank, and they attacked their own colony as if they were turned into mindless savages. When her own squadron leader fell silent, Yua hastily moved towards the Queen, her only priority being to protect her and the King.

But when she arrived, in place of the Queen was Cordel, a tall man obscured by a mushroom veil surrounded by bodies overgrown with the tall orange fungus. To her horror, behind Cordel was the body of her Queen—mauled, torn, and covered in stalks. She didn’t even notice the second presence in the room when her vision went red, her thoughts only being to kill the man who killed her beloved Queen.

She was brutally beaten in that short-lived battle, flung out into the forest surrounding the colony nest. With broken limbs, bruises, and heavy bleeding, she fell unconscious on the brink of death. Luckily, she was found by another officer, Handy, who dragged her to safety and tended to her wounds using their nen.

### The Family

When Yua regained consciousness, she awoke in a strange wooden shack, completely bandaged up and surrounded by four other Chimera Ants—Nozomi, Dubaku, Ragnhild, and Handy. Nozomi was the only one she was familiar with and trusted, as Nozomi had made several attempts to interact with her in the past. Strongly distrusting of the other three at first, Yua eventually warmed up to them with the reassurance of Nozomi. Soon, the five departed further into the wilderness with no end goal in mind.

Yua grows deeply attached to her group of companions, especially Nozomi. Nozomi taught her to feel more than just bloodthirstiness and obligation—compassion, love, empathy, and all the nice, “good” feelings. She was successful… to a certain degree. Yua constantly took these new feelings to the extreme, becoming completely devoted to her companions, developing obsessions, and constantly smiling. Though unsettling to most other people, her companions never distanced themselves from her and loved her the same.

After six months of traveling together, the five decided to establish their own colony together. They called themselves “the Family,” and drew up a pink and black banner with a blue feathery heart to represent their everlasting bond. By then, Yua had moved on from the Queen’s death and pledged her undying loyalty to her companions. Under this new name, the Family continued to travel throughout the Dark Continent for the next five years, laughing together, fighting together, and supporting each other. Yua felt like nothing, not even the Cordel, could tear them apart.

### Separation

On the night of a new moon, the Family was ambushed by Cordel and two Chimera Ants—a blue peacock spider, Perri, and an infected Chimera Ant King. Barely able to use nen, Yua was highly susceptible to Perri’s mind distortion nen, which greatly limited her ability to think and fight effectively. Eventually, she fell under Cordel’s control, but because of her strong will, his hold on her was unstable and she went on a blind rampage—half listening to orders and half fighting back. Ragnhild tried to stop her, knowing her disadvantage, but she hesitated in striking her companion, allowing Yua to punch her right arm clean off. Another blow to her face weakened her enough for Cordel's parasitic fungus ability to take control. Caught off guard, Yua incapacitated Handy, who turned shortly afterwards, then Dubaku, though it was hard to tell if he turned with his cloak and blindfold. Everything happened so fast—all Yua could do was watch with tears in her eyes and struggle to regain control.

*(Yua has a distorted view of these events. Due to Perri’s ability and her view on betrayal, she does not recall ever being controlled by Cordel. Every incapacitation is believed to have been done by the King, who in reality did not take any offensive positions and only served to protect Cordel. Yua would frequently have nightmares about this fight—her true memories.)*

To mock the Family, Cordel took their banner and commanded Ragnhild, now a husk of her former self, to slice it in half. Out of grief, anger, and desperation, a sudden outburst of nen awakened in Yua and she broke out of his control. She recklessly charged at Cordel, her only goal to kill him. Before anyone could land a hit, Nozomi used her nen to knock everyone but Yua far back. She hastily tried to calm her before wrapping half of the torn banner around Yua’s neck. She told her it was a promise that their family bond will never be broken, even when separated. She promised they would reunite once again. Then, without warning, she pushed past her nen’s limit to send her far, far away from this battle, which ultimately ends up killing her. Yua crashed into a cargo ship docked on the seashore, and, overwhelmed with everything that had happened, she fell unconscious.

*(Again, Yua has a distorted view of these events. Moreover, though aware that going way past one’s nen limits will end in death, she still believes Nozomi is alive and managed to escape Cordel.)*

### Danio Isle

She awoke on a ship, docked on a small island. She was surrounded by curious human strangers who’ve never seen a woman with large condor wings and insect-like limbs. Hungry, her first instinct was to kill them, but the voice of Nozomi echoed in her mind, telling her to be friendly before acting upon her urges. At the thought of Nozomi, she also panicked, asking where she was and where her Family was, much to the villagers’ confusion.

The kind village decided to take in the disoriented Yua, and though initially wary and afraid of her, they grew to love her and accept her as a member of their land—Danio Isle. Yua grew fond of them as well, and she would fish with the fishermen, play with the children, and talk about her family. Often, she would be hanging out with the son of the chief, Utame, who became especially close with her. Despite being surrounded by such kind humans, she felt lonely and yearned to see her Family again. But for now, she was stuck here, not knowing how to navigate the seas or someone willing to travel to the Dark Continent.

The time eventually came when the village learned of her true power. After about two years of peaceful living, pirates suddenly attacked the isle. Missing the thrill of tearing her enemies apart, she dealt with them swiftly and brutally, painting the shore red with blood. The village, horrified, became fearful of her and quickly distanced themselves. Even though they stood no chance against her, they tried to drive her out with stone spears and torches. Solely because of Nozomi, Yua wordlessly agreed to stay out of their village, choosing to stay atop of the small mountain range.

### Departure

Time would pass before Yua received a surprise visit in the mountains. To her delight, it was Utame. After catching up with each other, he brought up the upcoming Hunter Exam. His mother wouldn’t let him participate, but he told Yua getting a Hunter License could help her get to the Dark Continent and reunite with her Family. This immediately convinced her and he signed her up for it. When the ship arrived, he and surprisingly, the entire village, came to see her off (as time passed, they started to miss her). Yua made a promise to Utame that she would return one day.

## Hunter Exam

### First Meetings

When she boarded the ship, she was surprised to see other Chimera Ants after spending a year in a human village. Sitting down at the round table below deck, she offered a friendly (but unsettling) smile to them, though they did not seem to have a reaction.

Everan was the first to speak to her. He offered her a drug, specifically headache reliever, which she gladly accepted. Not knowing the purpose of the drug, she saw the gift as a sign of friendship and immediately latched onto him. With him often hiding behind Yua in the face of danger, she grew very protective of him and silently pledged to follow his command.

### Sentience

Kyouma opened a large coffin, which brought forth a rush of ominous wind. After the wind died down, something felt off about her scarf. When she touched it, she heard a soft voice speak. Startled, she frantically looked around, seeing nothing but her party and the stone hallway. The voice sounded and talked *exactly* like Nozomi. Though incredibly confused and emotional, the voice coming from her scarf confirmed something in her mind—Nozomi was still alive.

*(Her scarf is essentially possessed by Nozomi. Yua thinks the voice is the result of Nozomi’s promise and the strong bond between them, so even far away she can still hear her. In reality, the coffin awakened the remnants of Nozomi’s nen from her last goodbye, which caused the scarf to become alive with her personality and past memories.)*

### Trials

During the stamina trial, Yua remembers a very tall giant busting through the marsh at the speed of sound. Given her exhaustion, this sight was likely hallucinated, but nevertheless, it was a very strange occurrence.

During the tower trial, Yua and her party encountered a mimic. Though Everan overdosed the creature with drugs, it managed to land a heavy hit on him. Seeing his blood, she grew enraged and relentlessly attacked the creature, her goal only to kill the one who hurt her dear companion. While in her state of rage, she did not realize that Kyouma and Basil were trying to tame the addicted monster. In the end, she reduced the monster to a smoldering corpse, which earned her the hate of Basil. While calming down and making sure Everan was okay, she made a mental note to apologize to Basil (later, she managed to obtain the head of some enchanted armor. Per Basil’s request, she gave her one of her black feathers and the head, which in her mind sufficed as an apology).

During the bell trial, Yua teamed up with Alvox against another Hunter examinee in order to grab the two bells from Netero. She was excited to hear that Alvox’s plan was to kill the examinee first, and with great eagerness and bloodlust she swiftly killed the examinee. Shortly after, the two bells were obtained; the quick nature of this trial made her think they worked well together. It was then she silently pledged her loyalty to him too.

### Hunter License

The last and final trial of the Hunter Exam held Kyouma hostage—the rules stated he would be killed once time ran out, unless every party member gave up something of value to them, whether it was a secret or object. While Yua’s companions were telling their secrets and sacrificing their treasures, she hesitated. Once she heard the rules, her hand went instantly to her scarf, but she stopped before she could tear it off. It was a symbol of her Family bond, and it even spoke in the voice of dear Nozomi. To tear it meant she would tear that Family bond and *betray* them. But at the same time, she couldn’t let Kyouma die—he was a close companion.

As the clock approached its limit, she grew more and more panicked, conflicted on what course of action she should take. *Tick. Tick. Tick.* The ticking gradually grew louder and louder in her ears, soon blocking out the others’ voices. Ten seconds before Kyouma was to die, a forgotten memory of her Family being torn apart and turned into mindless husks of their former selves resurfaced. At the last second, she ripped her scarf from her neck and placed it on the altar, acting purely out of impulsiveness and natural instinct.

It took a few seconds for her to realize what she’d done. She *betrayed* her Family. She did the one thing she vowed never to commit. At that moment, she was absolutely crushed. Overwhelmed with guilt, shame, and regret, she entered a dissociative state. When Netero returned her scarf, she noticed the voice of Nozomi had gone silent. An emptiness filled her heart as she came to a realization. She had *killed* her.

## Time Skip

### Nen Training

Dubaku stayed in Livial city for a while before continuing his journey to find Cordel. In the meantime, he helped Yua train her nen abilities and taught her some new tricks. He taught her the four major principles as well as In and En, which he was most proficient in. While she couldn’t get a hold of In, she managed to learn En. The main thing Dubaku emphasized was Ten and her aura control. Seeing potential in her power and thinking intimidation would best serve her character, he also showed her how to exert hostility through Ren.

## Relationships

### Everan

Everan is the first friend she latched onto when she entered the Hunter Exam, and she still treasures the headache reliever he gave her in their initial meeting—her first gift from him and sign of a bond (similar to her banner/scarf). She’s very protective of him and willing to do anything he asks of her with no questions asked. After the incident where Everan recklessly threw himself in front of an attack to protect her, she doesn’t leave him out of her sight but is also more conscious about her own actions, realizing she’s bringing him worry. Though she’d still die for Everan, she decided that she’ll be more careful for his sake.

### Kyouma

Seeing Kyouma as physically fragile with no sense of fear, she tries to keep an eye on him whenever he decides to fight. She finds his loud and proud personality entertaining, though lately he’s been hard to read. She can’t predict when he becomes violent, which makes her wary and unsure of how to handle him.

### Basil

Yua is willing to carry out favors for Basil and appreciates her kindness. Ever since the mimic incident, she tries to keep her temper under control (with little success). She greatly enjoys the tea that she constantly brews and thinks she makes the best tea in the world. But Yua tries to keep a careful watch on her as her habit of being mischievous and irritating to others, especially to Alvox, gets her in trouble.

### Vienna

As one of the only humans of the group who also doesn’t have a combat role, Yua views Vienna as weaker than everyone else and therefore in need of protection. Since she is a friend of Everan, she respects her very much and only trusts her with Everan’s life.

### Alvox

She developed a strong (one-sided) bond with Alvox after they worked together to kill a hunter examinee during the bell trial. She likes the bloodlust they share, and she sees him as one of the strong ones of the group. If he gets significantly hurt, she’s more likely to heal or help him than immediately lose her temper. However, after Alvox choked her closest companion Everan, she’s extremely wary of him whenever he’s around Everan. She would make sure it would not happen again because if it did, she may not be able to trust him anymore.

### Aspect

They have not interacted very much, but she respects Aspect because they like butterflies (Everan is a butterfly) and disapproved of the party’s murder of innocent civilians. The latter sort of reminds her of Nozomi.

### Dr. Victor

They have not interacted very much, but she thinks Dr. Victor and Kyouma are the same due to this strange “science” they discussed once. Also, as a human without a combat role, she views him as in need of protection.

### Nozomi

Yua admired and loved her most for her constant compassion and kindness towards her as well as others. She taught her about certain emotions and how to feel them, and even though Yua didn’t quite get some of it Nozomi never criticized her for it. In fact, she accepted her flaws, so Yua looked to her as a source of security and stability. The two liked to watch the sunset dip below the horizon together, Yua often falling asleep in the process.

### Dubaku

Yua and Dubaku were close hunting buddies, able to bond over the thrill of hunting and battle. But when he fought, he liked to mess around with his target first before finishing them, while Yua preferred to go straight for the kill. While it sometimes bothered her as she would be itching to satiate her bloodlust, she did find it entertaining to see him having fun.

### Ragnhild

If Yua ever needed practical advice on something, Ragnhild would be her go-to. As Nozomi’s adviser, she was incredibly intelligent and wise in her decisions, but Yua had a habit of asking about less important matters. Even though it was clear Ragnhild was annoyed by this, Yua found she was willing to answer regardless.

### Handy

Yua felt most comfortable around them as Handy gave off a natural aura of ease and relaxation. Yua also found they were an exceptionally good listener, willing to sit down and listen to Yua ramble about whatever came to mind while brewing some tea. Sometimes, Handy would teach her the basics of cooking, cleaning, and performing medical aid, even though they were usually unsuccessful.

### Cordel

Yua wants nothing more than to kill Cordel in the most gruesome and drawn-out way possible. He is unforgivable and irredeemable in her eyes, and nothing will stop her from killing him if they ever meet again.

### Utame

Utame was the first human friend Yua ever grew close to. She liked his competitive nature, and together, they would hunt, spar, or play games against each other like dice. She noticed he was more shy around her than everyone else, so she would put in the extra effort to be more friendly with him. To her confusion, it would only fluster him more.

## Quotes

* “Hmm~? You think I should spare you? After you laid your filthy hands on my family?”
* “I would *love* to.”
* “I’ll do whatever you ask of me. My life is yours.”

## Trivia

* Yua hates all mushrooms, as they remind her of Cordel. She will make attempts to burn or throw them far away, and when that isn’t possible, she will refuse to look at it. Her temper and mood is more dangerous in the presence of mushrooms, being one of the rare times she will actively scowl.
* In addition to mushrooms, she will refuse to eat owls, crocodiles, cats, mantis, butterflies, and wolves. These animals remind her of her companions.