Next week, Destiny 2 Lightfall begins. So before I go off on a massive gaming session, I thought I'd prepare a nice chapter for you folks before taking my leave. Enjoy, and if you want more, make sure to write a review. Genuine reviews are my nourishment for motivation in writing and to those that have continued to review up until now thank you. You helped me push on with writing this up to 70 chapters. Not a record I thought of pulling off. Enjoy!


Having a camp of numerous familia sharing it is awkward in its own ways. Some of the middle ranked having to deal with top ranked ones was intense by itself, but sharing one with the Holy Witch and her familia was a nightmare. There was a sense of fear given the reputation Hakuno alone brought. Then the fact that Ais Wallenstein is now her 'knight' in both uniform and role, one that strangely enough fits her for all purposes. Then there was one who made everyone stay clear of the most if you weren't an elf. Primo Kishinami, adopted daughter of the Holy Witch herself, and a terrifying Level One Mage that single-handedly wiped out a team of adventurers all on her own with one attack. All because some idiot ruined her mom's cooking. Those three set off a level of dread just by having all three together.

The only safe ones to approach in the Hestia Familia was the Record Runner Bell Cranel himself, aspiring hero and known as the Blazing Dawn. He's well liked by aspiring adventurers for the reenactment of Argonaut's legend against a Minotaur. Timid and quick to flee like a rabbit, he's quite popular with older girls who find him cute with his personality to the point of teasing.

Then there was the pallum they called Lili. A cunning woman who had an undying loyalty to her new familia and is well connected with a few people if you knew where to look. She's always ahead on information gathering and is always having her eyes and ears searching for anything deemed useful to learn about. If you weren't careful, she might find the chance to find blackmail material on you.

And finally one of the newest members of the familia, Welf Crozzo. Aspiring blacksmith that had a unique ability to forge powerful magic swords. He hates them with his own reasons and experiences that he will not elaborate on. He had just recently leveled up and acquired his Blacksmith Skill but is not in a good mood. Rather, he was focused and had been running through notes and numerous ingots of various quality and color while muttering terms and formulas that only a fellow blacksmith could understand.

Let's get to see how the higher ranked familias converse, shall we?


"Ais!" Tiona cheerfully called out to the Sword Princess, getting the Fairy Knight's attention as Ais smiled back. "That's new." The Amazoness noted as the core members of the Loki Familia began to gather into their little group again. "You seem to be in a good mood. Something good happened?" she asked.

"The first thing you ask is if something good happened, not if she's well?" Tione asked her younger twin in minor exasperation while Finn smiled knowingly at the antics of the Hyute twins.

"I see you've become a more expressive lass, something good did happen." Gareth-san noted (A/N: We have two Gareths, so san suffix for the dwarf, chan for our puppy Servant) while stroking his beard with a knowing smile.

"...I had some closure with my past." Ais admitted in a cryptic tone and a peaceful smile on her face. For Riveria, it lifted a weight from the elf's shoulders as a sense of peace was filling her. She had worried about Ais's internal turmoils, that inner darkness the girl had when she first joined the Loki Familia. It looked as if the darkness in her had faded to a lighter shadow that was barely there.

Lefiya was surprised by what her senior and inspiration had said, not aware of such a thing before. Sure she was curious of Ais's past since she usually kept to herself when it comes to it, but for Ais to admit something about it was shocking to say the least. And this elf had a high suspicion that the Holy Witch had a hand in it.

"So, where's this Holy Witch at?" Bete demanded in a mildly annoyed tone before Ais's gaze turned to him and her face hardened.

"You are NOT going to fight her if that is what you're thinking." she glared with a tone of absolutes and a pressure subtly emitted from her body that sent chills down their spines.

"Tch." the werewolf clicked his tongue in annoyance. His battle-lust was driving him to try and fight with Hakuno out of pure interest in the girl's strength. He saw what the Holy Witch was capable of when she dueled Ais while holding back with swordsmanship stirred a feeling of a rival predator in his territory. Now that Ais is her official knight he'd have to get past her to do so…that and a little elf child whose wrath would leave him less than ashes if the look she's giving him from behind a crater she's hiding behind was implying.

He'll give up for now, and think of a way to convince Hakuno to fight him one-on-one. With that, he strutted away with an annoyed look on his face.

"Speaking of which, have you seen Tsubaki?" Finn spoke up, cupping his chin in thought. "I heard she's looking for your Captain to talk about those swords she-!" whatever he was going to say died when Ais's eyes widened in alarm and began dashing back into the camp section where the Hestia Familia are resting. "...I have a bad feeling about this, and my thumb isn't even reacting to it." the prum admitted with a bead of sweat on his forehead.

"I'm sure it'll be alright." Riveria assured him, aware that Hakuno is far level headed in serious situations, let alone very cunning to let things go too out of control before turning to the crate where Primo was peeking behind. "You can come out Primo, can I talk to you about a few things?" the godmother asked gently as the elf child came out and began walking towards them. She looked nervous about something which was concerning for the high elf, especially with the fact Primo is taking an active part in this battle against the Empire.

"Hi everyone…" Primo greeted everyone with a somewhat nervous tone. That alone sent signals to Lefiya and Riveria especially since they've bonded through their lessons on magic and elf culture. Primo being nervous was not something they knew from the usually energetic and excitable elf. "Can I talk with you two and Alicia in private please? This is…sensitive. Something that I shared with mom and it upset her when she had no choice but to agree with me…being here." she asked. Both Lefiya and Riveria shared a look, what was it that convinced Hakuno of all people to bring Primo to the warfront?


*Hestia Tent*

"She's all set Hakuno-sama." Haruhime said dutifully as she gestured to the stand where Hakuno's Gekkō Ryūjin Muramasa rested. "I followed your instructions on how to polish and sharpen it. But if I may ask, how come Welf-sama isn't the one to help maintain her?" Haruhime asked with a minor confusion on her face.

"She's a living sword Haruhime, and is very picky with who can even hold her. For her to take a liking to you at first was surprising even to me. Not even Nero or Gil can hold her without being heavily poisoned or having spikes in the handle suddenly impale your hands." Hakuno explained as Haruhime gasped and all her hair (and fur) stood on edge when she heard of what became of others who touched the blade. "Take it as a compliment Haruhime, this queen that dwells in the blade deems you worthy of gracing her with your touch." the witch smiled fondly as Haruhime's expression softened and smiled before bowing to the sword in respect.

The Golden Rathian soul was purring with content with the respect she was given.

"'Scuse me! Mind if I come in?" a woman's voice called from the front of the tent before the person walked in. Wearing an eyepatch and familiar clothing of the Far East, Hakuno instantly knew this woman anywhere.

"Geh…Tsubaki." Hakuno muttered. She knew the blacksmith nicknamed Cyclops by the gods anywhere, she was Welf's former Captain when he was still in the Hephaistos Familia. Her personality reminded her a bit of Drake with her personality. She knew this captain meant well for Welf's sake as a smith, but she doesn't know what's behind the man named Welf Crozzo or his past.

"What's with that reaction? And by the way, I'm not here for ol' Welfie. Today I came here to talk with you." Tsubaki told her with hands on her hips and a smirk. It made Hakuno narrow her eyes with wariness, recalling two certain smith gods and their constant pestering about a certain subject. The lone red eye looked past the witch and renard and saw Gekkō Ryūjin resting on its stand and her grin grew. "Is that the sword said to have melted the Orichalcum metal of the Sword Princess's Desperate?" she asked before taking a step forward, only to pause when Hakuno held one metallic palm up to halt her.

"Don't even think about touching her, for your sake more than mine." Hakuno warned in a serious tone as Tsubaki gulped at the fire in the witch's eyes.

"She?" Tsubaki asked, not taking her gaze off of the katana resting on the stand, admiring the craftsmanship from afar.

"It's a living weapon, not fond of anyone except me and Haruhime holding her." Hakuno began explaining as Tsubaki's curiosity suddenly piqued at that revelation.

"Oh? Now I have to know how-"

"You're best not knowing. Some things are too sensitive to talk about and what was used to make this blade is considered taboo if I told you." Hakuno warned her as Tsubaki held up her hands in surrender, already knowing that if she were to push it, she'd have picked a fight with the Holy Witch and her royal husband who fired high quality weapons like arrows and was near the tent when she walked in. So yeah, she does not want a death sentence. But there was always-

"If you're gonna ask me about the sword I made during the War Game…GET. OUT." and then the black mana she was coating in right now meant she was serious. Well, there was one gambit she dared to pull off and hoped she could stay and understand this interesting girl who has caught her interest.

"I was wondering if I could do a commission for you. You know, forge a special weapon for the occasion?" Tsubaki asked before Hakuno blinked and the black mana faded. Since she didn't have her veil on, Tsubaki got to see the innocent confusion on Hakuno's face as she tilted her head to the side quizzically.

Cute.

It was so damn cute she wanted to take Hakuno back to her tent and use her as a huggable pillow with how cute she was. Tsubaki quickly regained her composure and cleared her throat loudly. "Right, so the winter is nearing the end soon and spring is right around the corner. Given that you too are from the Far East and an expert katana wielder, I was wondering if I can do a commission for you and get input." she explained. Hakuno raised an eyebrow in skepticism, and Tsubaki knew she needed some extra reason to convince her.

"I know my way around a forge, and can show you why the Hephaistos Familia is the top smithing familia, so you can stop bothering the Goibniu Familia with your…special designs." Tsubaki gestured to the scythe-sniper rifle in its full form.

"...They're easier to talk to and deal with special custom orders at reasonable prices." an imaginary dagger pierced Tsubaki's heart. "They have helped the Hestia Familia with remodeling our homes on numerous occasions within a great time limit." another imaginary dagger pierced Tsubaki, "And they are willing to work together and help forge this masterwork at my request with earnest feelings. We have a bond of sorts as their client." Third strike and she's out!

Suddenly, this wasn't about Hakuno's swords, it was the dignity and pride as a smith of the Hephaistos Familia that was challenged. "I'll show you…I'll show you I can make a special custom weapon far superior to whatever the Goibniu Familia can cook up in their forges! Hell, I'll cover the entire damn thing myself so you don't pay a single Valis!" she snapped as Haruhime winced at the tone as Hakuno's lips turned into a smug smile akin to her mother's.

"Hoh? You wish to try and forge a katana of my design? How good is your memory?" the witch asked, sounding amused by this challenge the Cyclops has imposed upon herself.

"Damn good to not forget the tiniest of details!" Tsubaki gritted out with her teeth audibly grinding. Hakuno raised her metallic prosthetic hand and snapped her fingers, creating a hologram blueprint of a katana design that she held by its handle.

This was a katana Hakuno wanted to use in her time in Orario, for Gekko Ryujin was far too powerful to be safely used in teams. This blade she drew up in her spare time was symbolic to her home in the Far East, no matter which version it is in any world. Especially since that metal exists in this world of fantasy. "This is a blade I want made with Hihiirokane. Of course there are some parts that need my attention while working on before completing the assembly of the katana. What do you think?" she asked.

Tsubaki examined Hakuno's hands, her body measurements and the hologram of the katana in question, noticing key details like etched and carved runes on parts of the weapon that stood out and were beyond her knowledge. She grinned with cold sweat running down her face. "You sure know how to challenge, Holy Witch." Tsubaki told her with a look into Hakuno's starry eyes. Hihiirokane was a rare metal of the Far East with rare fire affinities and was tricky to work with. Tsubaki smirked, "Alright, I'm in for it. I'll show you just how good the Hephaistos Familia truly is!"

"And I get a high quality weapon for free. Thanks Tsubaki." Hakuno smiled brightly and innocently as Tsubaki paused and her mind went into rewind about this conversation. Realizing that her own pride caused her to give Hakuno a free weapon she nervously looked at that shining innocent expression and internally winced. How can she try reasoning with the price with an angelic expression like that?

Outside the tent, Gilgamesh was giving Ais a smug smile with an 'see what I mean?' look in his eyes while the Sword Princess was looking into the tent with wide eyes and partially slacked jaws in awe. Hakuno played on Tsubaki's pride as a smith to get a Hephaistos weapon…for free! That was amazing and cool and Ais could not help but admire Hakuno's subtle way of getting things her way with words like that.


*White Rabbit*

"That is amazing!" Bell admitted with star-struck eyes, watching Asfi crafting magic items under Hermes' orders to entertain and educate the boy on how this skill works. For the Captain of the Hermes Familia, it felt genuinely good to be given such honest praise for her work compared to what Hermes and her familia have given her. They were used to such things while Hermes treated it even when she first got the blasted skill as something common.

It's not. And this woman worked blood, sweat, and tears when she acquired the Skill to make ends meet with the senseless demands her god had run her through. Her health was actually depleting quite a bit from overworking and if she hadn't bought those special potions at Miach's shop, she would have suffered terrible health problems and even death.

Death by overworking. She refused to die like that, not until she vented all the stress her god had given her throughout her life. Besides, that was a shameful way to die.

Meanwhile in Chaldea, a certain Sage-King of Heroes sneezed.

"Is Lady Hestia looking for new converts by any chance?" Asfi asked out of the blue, surprising Bell. When they met eyes, Bell saw the dark circles under her eyes and was instantly concerned for her well being. "Because I figured that given how everyone is by looking at them, they're all doing fine…" she reasoned as Bell was instantly turning his rubellite eyes to Hermes who was busy striking up a conversation with a fellow god.

Gilgamesh did say gods are careless when it comes to the lives of mortals depending on their domains, and given that Lord Hermes was a carefree god, he probably doesn't notice how bad Asfi's health was. "...I'll ask Goddess if there's any more room available." he replied with a worried tone as Asfi patted him on the head and smiled like she had found salvation. It seems Bell just found a potential recruit from a different Familia.

Now…how was he going to break this news to his Goddess and Captain?


*Legacy of Alfheim*

"...What?" Riveria gapped as the white spirit coiled protectively around Primo as Lefiya and Alicia were shocked.

"The Guardian Spirit of the First Queen Galadriel…Diabound." Lefiya whispered softly at the sight of the legendary entity.

"That's impossible, only the First Queen of the Elves had ever…" Alicia was mentally shutting down as she tried to comprehend.

Primo was confused, she shared with these three the existence of Diabound and here they were gawking at her companion as if seeing a living legend for the first time. Oh, my sweet summer child, how right you are.

"Primo…" Riveria breathed deeply, suddenly concerned for her godchild, of the political mess the young child was going to be dragged into. "That spirit is the companion of Galadriel, the very first queen of the elves. After her passing, no other elf has summoned it when making a contract with the spirits. So how did…?"

"Revenge." Primo answered, looking down. "The elves that suffered under the Empire's genocide campaign chose me as the one to enact revenge since I was a survivor and one capable of wielding a strong power…I am to be the one to enact that revenge. They won't leave me until it's done."

"They?" Alicia asked, alarmed by the implications as strange ghostly faces floated around both Primo and Diabound. All three elves stood with weapons armed and Primo looking up with them with a sad smile.

"The dead are bound to me, unable to find peace until 'justice' is served." she told them as the horror on the elves was etched upon the child's memory.


Omake-Summoning the Witch (Servant Dialogue) Part 2

*Nursery Rhyme*

"Good to see you again Alice. I see you've made some friends here." Hakuno smiled fondly. "Oh? You want me to play house as well? Alright. What do you want me to play as?

*Mordred*

"Big brother!" Hakuno called out, "Good to see you again. Haven't seen you since the Greater Holy Grail War! I loved how you fought Red Assassin and cleaved her in two. You were awesome!" she beamed as Mordred puffed her chest and delivered a boast. "You're right, you are an awesome knight. I look forward to fighting alongside you. Eh? I have several weapons despite being a Caster and is it against the rules? As my husband would say…I am the rules." she smirked while Mordred pouted at that.

*Jeanne Alter*

"Good to see you, Avenger. How did it feel knowing you're not a fake like you initially thought?" Hakuno asked Jeanne Alter who averted her eyes, huffed and gave her reply. What she said made Hakuno frown. "For the last time I do NOT have a blond fetish so quit trying to distance yourself from me like I'm Blackbeard. I prefer glasses instead." she corrected, surprising the Avenger Servant.

*Thomas Edison*

"So Presi-King, have you reflected on your actions in the Lostworld?" Hakuno sternly demanded as Edison was on his knees with a look of pure genuine regret on his lion face. "As long as you work hard, I'm sure the Demi-Human races will learn to forgive. Tesla, do not laugh at his situation. That is low and you should be ashamed of that behavior."

*Ashiya Douman*

"The Beautiful Carnivore…Can I burn his Saint Graph just this once?"

*Amakusa Shirou Tokisada*

"We meet again Apocryphal Saint." Hakuno said with narrow eyes and distrust. "I doubt even the angels are willing to tolerate your existence even after your defeat. You better not be after any more Holy Grails, else you ignored their warnings and damn humanity with your own self-righteousness."

*Kriemhild*

"Hoh? Her reactions with Siegfried…I feel like I've seen this before…" Hakuno pondered with a curious tilt of her head.

*Kukulkan*

"Ah…Hello visitor from another star, what can I-? Huh? You want to access the Moon Cell's archives to learn about human cultures?" Hakuno asked, baffled by the request as the Foreigner Servant nodded her head excitedly. "Well there are a lot of them out there, but let's start with one culture at a time. Have a preference?" Hakuno smiled knowingly as Kukulkan was getting excited and hugged Hakuno.

*Mash Kyrielight*

"Ah, a fellow member of the Iron Round Table. It's been a while since we worked together, Mash." Hakuno's expression softened with a gentle smile. "Thanks…for both helping resurrect a new generation of knights for Camelot, and for helping save the Lostworld from being erased. I'll miss my Familia, but my time with them is at an end and I owe Novum Chaldea for helping me during that crisis with the rogue gods. So I'll stand by your side and help restore your world back to the way it was. The End draws near."

*Ritsuka Bond 1*

"I heard how much those…Saint Quartz cost to make." Hakuno admitted and gave the Master a look of concern. "You're not a gacha addict…are you? Please spend money in moderation. It's important to use that money for your health after this Human Revision Order is done."

*Ritsuka Bond 2*

"Hmmm…I know you're trying to bond with me, but I cannot stay with you forever. Once I help defeat the Foreign God, I'm on my next journey. My Saint Graph is limited in its existence so I can only stay until this crisis is over."

*Ritsuka Bond 3*

"Your bond with your Servants is quite something. Since they've all endured many hardships in life, giving them genuine kindness has a domino effect of causing devotion to you alone. I can see how some of them fell in love with you, Clueless Harem Protagonist." Hakuno teased with a small grin.

*Ritsuka Bond 4*

"Why are you thanking me? Huh? Because Gil and Enkidu were able to come to Chaldea thanks to my presence? And that they're going all-out on problematic enemies?" Hakuno looked surprised at first before sighing and shaking her head with a smile. "They probably don't want me to waste my time against small fry and hurt myself. They're so overprotective. Haha." a gentle fond laugh came from her.

*Ritsuka Bond 5*

"The current humanity isn't perfect, that I know. But there are still things about it that are beautiful enough to still protect. We will end this story the way we want it, together. Even when I part ways with you after stopping Marisbury's Grand Order, I'll take time to travel to a different Chaldea to help change the story into one we both wanted. Starting by saving Olga Marie from that terrible fate, I promise you not as an ally, but as a friend." Hakuno stretched out her hand. "Shall we save this world together?" she smiled.