Good to be back. Lightfall was a mixed can of worms for the community but hey, nothing is perfect to everyone. I rather enjoyed it because it was a race against time to stop the Witness from doing whatever it was planning, which left out a lot of lore in the main story that irritated some. But some cool loot and the Destiny equivalent to the Doom Super Shotgun appeared as the raid exotic got me hyped.
I got a new cover art! I had an AI draw it and I admit...it's too beautiful when it designed Hakuno for the cover. But hey, I at least got a few new covers for the story as it evolves later on.
"Heya Chibi! Drink up!" Loki shouted from her side of the table as the gathered gods on this warfront were dining together, and Loki herself was already drinking alcohol and partially drunk. Several of the other deities were in agreement, fully of confidence and merriment.
Hestia was in no mood at the moment, not when the Empire had a personal target on her familia, or more specifically, her daughter. She knew Loki was trying to cheer everyone up, to get their morale up high with fine food and excellent drinks, but the Hearth Goddess was feeling something off in the air. She felt a hand on her shoulder and turned to see Asherah look confused with everything going on now.
Right.
Asherah had been stuck in a pit for heavens knows how long, consumed by anger, loneliness, hatred and despair she had forgotten everything fun in the world. For her friend's sake, she'll partake and ensure that this will be a 'fun' one. "Hey Freya! Isn't it fair that Loki is the only one from your pantheon to participate in a drinking contest. Don't the rest of your pantheon know how to party like Ragnarok?" Hestia challenged. Said goddess paused from swerving her wine cup to look at Hestia in surprise when she saw the virgin goddess made a subtle glance towards Asherah and understood the implications.
"Oya? You wish to challenge me to a drinking game?" Freya asked, looking amused before giggling beautifully. "Then I accept." she glanced towards Ottar, "Bring us the barrels of mead, the good ones." she told him.
"As you wish, Lady Freya." Ottar responded and dutifully went off to get the barrels at the request of his goddess.
"So you're challenging me Fey-Fey? Let it be known I know how to drink hard compared to your soft wines there! I'm not losing anytime today!" Loki roared her challenge towards Freya who smirked smugly. Challenge Accepted.
*Other Table*
"I must admit Kishinami-san." Finn spoke, using the honorifics for the girl from the Far East. "You do know how to eat." the Braver admitted as he witnessed the might of Hakuno's stomach. Massive bowls and plates filled with food were already gone in that blackhole of a stomach as several female adventurers could only look at the Holy Witch's stomach before looking at their own.
Where does she put it all? Was the unspoken question.
"That's our Captain for you. She'd put us in the red if she went all out at any restaurant." Bell laughed sheepishly, recalling witnessing Hakuno's legendary appetite once when they saved quite a bit to spend at the Hostess of Fertility.
"Hunger is the enemy. It's important to eat plenty of healthy things in life to help one grow a healthy body with proper amounts of exercise and rest." Hakuno told them as she wiped her mouth with a napkin in a proper way. In fact, she ate and drank in a way proper ladies would that it baffled how she finished her food that fast. Given that she's of royal blood, it must be some sort of secret art…
Nope. It was a trait to those of the Pendragon bloodline to have such massive appetites.
"I feel a little sick looking at this…" Alicia admitted, her expression slightly pale as she pushed a dish full of meat away as she enjoyed her vegetables and tofu based dishes. Seeing the elf's reaction to meat and recalling the diets of the elves, Hakuno was left to ponder something from her world.
How would elves react to plant meat (a meat made 100% from plants) if she introduced it to them? She sent a mental command to the Regalia to create simulations of scenarios if she did so, wondering if there was any potential danger to it. It'd take a bit of time but the results would be worth it.
"Oi, Witch." a voice called out to her as the one responsible bit the meat off bone in a single bite. It was Bete, and he looked slightly annoyed. Ais was eyeing him dangerously and Hakuno was quite aware of Bete's reputation and haughty pride due to being 'top dog' for a long time with his familia, especially when he looks down at others. She knew what the werewolf wanted and might as well oblige him with it.
"If you're looking for a fight, I'll face you at dawn, child of the Loga Clan." Hakuno stated as Ais looked surprised at that, Bete was pleased, Finn sighing and resting his head in his hand as he knew things were going to get ugly soon.
Then Tione sat beside Hakuno and leaned into the eating girl's face. "Tell me, how did you meet your husband and marry him?!" the Amazoness asked with excitement in her tone as the atmosphere in the area did a 180. Suddenly, all the girls were interested and began voicing their speculations and seeing if they were right as even Primo and Haruhime were quite curious. Primo because elves are pure innocent romantics at heart (even Riveria herself is no exception) and Haruhime because she saw the deep bond the Captain and her husband had with each other.
"Well that's quite the interesting story to tell. What do you think, Gil?" Hakuno asked her husband who was sitting on a golden throne out of place in the camp as he drank wine from his golden goblet.
"My Queen, let us daze them with a tale of adventure and romance that only the Moon itself could tell!" he boasted with absolute confidence and ego.
She took that as a yes. "Well, it all started because of a dear friend of his I befriended on my journey…" She began, regaling with fondness of the things they got into, fighting side by side, becoming special to each other as they saved each other from near death. Needless to say, everyone was hooked to the story even if Hakuno omitted a few parts for privacy's sake and of course the two marriage rituals. One of Uruk's, and the traditional one with a wedding dress and a priest (*cough*Kotomine*cough*) to bless them.
"Hah, if I had it my way, I'd marry you a third time in the ways of the Far East Hakuno. I'm sure you'd look lovely in those wedding clothes." Gilgamesh added in with a smirk as a faint red dusted his spouse's cheeks at his admittance to wanting to marry her again.
"Um…do you have any tips or advice for us?" Lefiya nervously asked innocently. Hakuno looked at every girl's excited expression and let out a small happy smile. "Actually…"
*Blue Pharmacy Tent*
Cassandra sweated terribly in her sleep, her visions this time were more detailed, more etched into her memory than any other she had seen before.
Chaldea, Lostbelts, battles with spirits of heroes.
Chaldea defeated, celebration.
Doom.
Lostbelt clashing with the world, horror awakened.
Spider weaving web. Gods eaten, adventurers fallen.
Hopeless despair.
Ultimate One
ORT
"We…made a terrible mistake." Hakuno coughed up blood as she stood against The Spider, the Planet-Eater as its metal webs ensnared all of Orario as it feasted upon the denizens. "Cassandra, go to Britain, and see my mom. She's the only one who can give us in the past a fighting chance against it."
So did the seeress fulfill her task. Her memories would be sent via Rayshift into her past self to warn of the Spider's awakening and what they failed to account for. By that time, Hakuno Kishinami, a Level 4 adventurer who had been regaled a hero for felling Chaldea and preventing their world's destruction died battling ORT in a stalling tactic to give a new chance for the past selves.
A dead end had occurred and that timeline was pruned by the Winnower's own hand.
Now awake, with memories of a timeline now dead, Cassandra began her new task. Procure the necessary items and warn Hakuno of the Day of ORT. They must not fail in this part of the past, also…make sure several key people survive past the war with the Empire. Cassandra had to do this, she must prevent the calamities she foresaw in these memories from ever happening.
Defeating Chaldea could wait until after preventing ORT's awakening. That was the top priority of her mission right now.
She had to do this, she was entrusted with this knowledge by Hakuno with faith. She would not fail her friend in their darkest hour.
A/N: Wow...so since Chaldea got defeated in the future, they never got to prevent ORT's advance, which lead the spider towards the DanMachi world Hakuno is in and then...Damn. Let's hope Cassandra can fix this mess!
