I'm back again folks and looks like it's time to enjoy Las Vegas once again! You want that Melt, Merlin, and Bunnytoria of course. Or are you wise and decide to save for Castoria, knowing she and Muramasa are coming this year and pray to have both in the future before Lostbelt 6? With the Servant Coin system coming in a few days, I'm hyped. Let's go!
One Happy Birb: I blame Yugioh Vrains for making recap episodes for the idea. Oh and 40 have voted yes and 9 voted no. So far, Apocrypha crossover is a go unless people suddenly vote no. And let's be honest, everyone wants to see Mordred react to her baby sister Hakuno and try to be cool in front of her.
Shen1412: Only partially, I'm not doing a full thing. If you want to see her version of the Grail Wars, see Cypher/Extra
Onishin Tsukitenshi: Seriously? You only noticed it now...?
Emissary of Stuff: I had Covid-19 at the time and I couldn't focus on writing with bad health. But I willed myself to at least get that chapter done and let the readers and their imaginations go wild with how it went down in their own heads.
This was a dream within a dream…
She awoke to this dream, knowing this presence. Ancient yet so young, powerful without feeling powerful. They were here.
Gilgamesh and Nero were with her, confused and alarmed as they had weapons drawn.
|Cease these foolish attempts of bravado|
Their weapons dissipated against their owner's will and Hakuno quietly held a hand up to have them stop. "To the fruits of labor, we do toil…" she recited.
|And from them new life, born anew…|
"What does the gentle Gardener wish to share with me and my Servants? I have yet to ascend into a full-fledged Cypher." She inquired. She had met the Gardener and Winnower once in her life, and she heard the tales of these living primordial forces that predate even gods and time itself.
After awakening a portion of her Cypher powers and bested Saver, the Servant of Salvation and Twice Pieceman's sole ally, they gave her the snow-white nectar of the tree of silver wings and bestowed the title Flamescion of Stars.
|A gift, to prove one self's might against gods and godlike beings capable of world-ending|
|A world solely for a Sovereign beyond the Moon Cell's power|
The white void of a dream was filled with color and life. A ruined castle, a ruined throne, and a small island it was hold upon.
|A throne world. A realm that is your will manifest as your paradise|
Hakuno and her Servants looked around, Gilgamesh mildly interested in this world's nature while at the same time bored of the bland with the interior and exterior designs. "My Queen, this realm reflects your rather bland tastes in decorations. Some redecoration is sorely needed." He commented. He knew his spouse's preferences of plain and simple since she grew up in a simple life like that, but with something like this, it needed something more…golden.
"Umu. The King of Heroes speaks truthfully Praetor." Nero agreed as she did a spin toward her Master. "Why give it the flare of roses!" she exclaimed.
Now Hakuno decided to throw in her own input on the choice of suggestion Nero made. "But I already have such a rose in my possession. A bright beautiful, passionate one that dances splendidly in the wind." She told Nero, who was now red-faced and stammering in response to that innocent compliment.
"Leave it to my Queen to have such charisma on a child like her." Gilgamesh mused mentally to himself as Nero was looking shy and docile now.
|Your kingdom will grow with each battle won, with each experience gained|
|Rewards fitting to the rank of Anointed|
Anointed…she was chosen by the Gardner and Winnower as one of the Cypher's Four Heavenly Kings under the Domain of Flames.
|Many trials await, young Anointed. New allies must be called upon|
"Luckily, if nothing goes wrong, I can finally re-establish my contracts with Gil and Nero while summoning new Servants to help. I already have an ideal catalyst to summon a rather powerful Servant." Hakuno answered while Gilgamesh already knew what she was referring to: Ishtar's corpse.
"Gardener, I…I know you're the more benevolent of the two but are you the one that sent this version of my mom to this world?" she asked. There was no fooling Hakuno. She had known Morgan le Fay's personality in the Far Side, and the fact this version of Morgan did not utilize the black mana, Albina's Legacy as the Founder and Progenitor of Britain's true royal lineage. Something didn't add up.
|She hailed from a Lostbelt, untainted by human birth or Britain's influence, going only by Vivian|
That was a revelation in of itself, Hakuno recalled Morgan having three split personalities in the past. One was the Will of Britain, and the other the human Morgan that loved her sibling, King Arthur. She didn't know that the Lady of the Lake, Vivian was her mother's third personality, but it did explain a certain why.
As in, why was Hakuno capable of creating and wielding a potentially powerful Holy Sword that was currently subpar to Excalibur (which Gilgamesh personally noted her about). From her own studies in her spare time, lake fairies had the purpose of crafting, safeguarding and bestowing powerful armaments to humans to aid in their journeys. Lancelot's Aroundight and Gawain's Galatine are prime examples of holy swords Vivian had bestowed upon them in the past.
She accidentally made one weapon in that final battle against Saver, nameless, yet it held important pieces born of the human heart to forge it. Her own innate kindness, Nero's passionate compassion, Altera's desire for a normal life, Gilgamesh and Enkidu's unbreakable friendship, Sakura's, BB's and the Alter Ego's everlasting love, and the inherited dreams from her friends. It had created a formidable holy sword that broke in that same battle when the final blow was struck.
But she learned that if she ever wielded a sword, she could recreate the holy sword while inheriting properties of the sword it was used as a template. An ace she's keeping under wraps and why she chose to wield a spear and use magic instead. Goibniu and Hephaistos were such reasons she never used the power unless necessary like the time against the Horseman War.
Of course, she could only use one essence at a time with current gear or else risking creating a dangerous Broken Phantasm. But War's sword was the only thing so far the only thing she could use all six essences with, combined with Bell's Argonaut to completely create an overkilled attack that destroyed both foe and weapon itself.
She'd need Welf to improve on his smithing abilities if she ever needed to forge that holy sword at full power ever again. Especially against the other Horsemen of the Apocalypse and the goddess Asherah if she's hellbent on destroying the world for the wronging's the other gods did to her.
But she knows right now, it was the calm before the storm. Sooner or later anther crisis will rear its ugly head and cause problems that she and her familia will be dragged into. She just hopes that it won't be during her time of recovery. Now that would give Amid a reason to lose her composure and snap at her for straining herself when she should be resting. "…Is there something else you're keeping from me? What about the Winnower?" she asked
|They are preparing their own gift for you, once you reach Level 3 as a reward for your proven might|
Basically, she needed to go on an adventure. That, she'll enjoy.
*Hestia*
The Goddess of the Hearth blew her nose as she tossed the used-up tissue into the pile of others as she watched the memory of Hakuno's Holy Grail War.
"…Thank you, big sis. For playing with Alice. Thanks, big sis…for not leaving me alone." The little girl, Alice said to Hakuno with a cheerful smile yet sad tone to her voice as she faded away into blackness and the sound of crumbling sugar.
Hestia felt her heart break at the sound, and BB looked away with shame and guilt for two reasons. One for allowing Hestia to see one of Hakuno's saddest moments, and recollection of the one-time Melt had broken Alice. It left a deep-seated trauma in Hakuno whenever it involved children, one that BB saw in Primo whom her senpai lost her arms to protect.
"…I am a reflection. This time I was Alice in the looking glass." The black clad Alice spoke, slumped over and sounding both young and old at the same time. "Even if I'm summoned in the next War, I won't be the Alice I am now. I am always someone's fanciful creation." She looked at Hakuno, and tears were already falling from her face as the fell onto the floor.
"The real Alice is a mystery. But, being Alice's Servant made me happy…" she said as she touched her own cheeks and looked bewildered and sad. "Why…am I crying…?" she asked herself, slowly sobbing to herself as Hakuno watched from behind the firewall with her hair covering her eyes. "When I know…that even if I cry…I'll never be the real thing." She said before looking at Hakuno, her Master's opponent, friend, and only family in this life.
"Thank you…for being there for Alice." She said as she faded away, that tearful and sad smile etched into Hakuno's memory.
Hakuno and her Servant were all that were left in the Coliseum, and she looked up, her own tears of sorrow falling from her face.
Hestia couldn't hold it back and began to openly cry. She no longer wanted to see any more deaths, no more tragedies, all she wanted to do right now was comfort Hakuno and tell her everything is alright. To think her daughter had to suffer from this ruthless system and force to watch everyone she cared for die in front of her.
How did she do it? How did Hakuno overcome such emotional trauma like that and smile like that. What made her this strong? "There's two more memories that you should watch. The final steps to Senpai's own growth into what she is now. Are you sure you can handle this Hestia-sama?" BB asked as she tapped her teacher's cane in her hand slowly.
Hestia breathed deeply. She already seen three of the four matches BB claimed to drive Hakuno into the woman she was now. One more fight, one more pain of loss, and then she'll see. She'll see the source of fire in Hakuno's eyes. "Do it." She gritted out from her emotional pain as BB nodded her head, feeling nothing but the utmost respect for Hestia's resolve to go through with this until the end.
*Next Chapter Trailer*
The Moon Cell was consumed in a black sphere, surrounded by a giant golden wheel as Saver sat in the same position without expression.
Nero and Gilgamesh were beaten and badly bruised.
Hakuno struggling against chains binding her as she glared forward.
Darkness consuming her, as a lone eye was slowly glazing over.
|Pain once shadowed the path|
Hakuno's eye widened as she reached out to grab a handle. An explosion of flames and Hakuno held a sword, pointing it forward as she glared and say something.
|But hope will be rekindled|
Hakuno screamed, and the controlled NPCs were deleted into hundreds of pixilated darkness. Rays of golden light fell, decimating Enemy Programs with devastating power. The golden wheel was severed in two, liberating the Moon Cell from whatever influence corrupted it. Hakuno above an enemy Master, sword in hand before a surprised expression was on her face as she looked to the side.
|To burn away the darkness|
"My turn now." Hakuno told her foes, wielding the Holy Sword overhead as starlight and majestic flames danced around her. "Hope you're fine with that!" she challenged.
|And carry the everlasting flames|