Happy New Years everyone! Gacha was both cruel yet kind to me. I sacrificed all of my saved-up quartz (and bought $80 worth when I ran out) and finally got Muramasa without pity! Then with spare paid quartz, I rolled and got Saber Astolfo, who is my sword XD. I'm broke on quartz and my New Years Resolution is to save all my quartz for two people. 1 is Miss Crane, and the other is none other than Morgan, whom I'm planning to NP 5 in the future. If I'm lucky, I'll roll for Mélusine and Oberon if I have plenty of quartz to spare. But hey, that's hell I'm walking into here.

Lostbelt 7 gave me laughs and OMGWTF between Beast 7 and ORT respectively. ORT was more dangerous than a Beast of Calamity ever hoped to be. Hopeless Despair is what they were teasing with this secret boss and damn! 10 health bars with possibly absurd gimmicks behind them. Yeah, not looking forward to facing ORT in the future.

Yorokobe Nippon (Japan)! For Father Kotomine has arrived in the gacha for a limited time just for you. Remember to give him your Limit Break Mapo Tofu CE's when you get the chance.

The Water Mirror shimmered to life in the Hearthstone Mansion's garden as the girls of the Hestia Familia and said goddess appeared, all smiling with content while Baobhan Sith joined them with amusement as she noticed smoke on the horizon, one that caught everyone else's attention. The fairy had joined them on their return home upon request of Morgan, believing a little sisterly bonding would be important for the two, while in actuality Morgan had Baobhan Sith keep an eye on Hakuno and deal with the fanatics of the Empire. Hence her appearance.

"...We're gone for a day or two and Orario is burning." Hakuno said calmly while Hestia is already fretting with what became of Bell and Welf while they were away. "Hmm. Mother, they're in the medic wing, alive and well." Hakuno said with her eyes closed, sensing her fellow familia members inside the Boundary Field. With that, the goddess dashed off in that direction while the girls followed in pursuit

*Medic Wing*

The room was pure white, from the floor, walls, and , Bell and Welf were reading instructions on First Aid carefully as the smell of rubbing alcohol and the sounds of hissing pain were audible. "It's a good thing the girls are gone for the moment." Welf admitted, looking a bit nervous himself. "I do not want to explain what happened to Hakuno."

Bell chuckled sheepishly before widening his eyes in horrific realization and nodding his head in agreement. While their goddess was merciful, Hakuno was strict with punishments.

"I'm sure my contractor will understand when I explain the situation. She knows a bit of our current problem and will most likely give the…smack on the wrist was it?" Helel asked while the other two boys looked relieved that someone was going to take the heat for them.

It surprised the entire Familia when Hakuno summoned this entity as an ally, and Hestia jokingly said Hakuno's fetish for blondes was without restraint when she noticed the hair and the choking sound of betrayal by their Captain was…adorable. Bell and Welf had known girls could make cute noises from time to time. But Hakuno's cute noises were off the charts when her 'cool' mode was shattered. From what Bell recalled, what kind of girl would best describe Hakuno from his grandfather, she would be the 'Kuudere'. The cool, aloof woman with a warm center that definitely described her. She was both awesome, and a cutie by the gods' descriptions on that type of character.

So far, only her husband, King Gilgamesh was capable of getting these cute reactions from the witch herself. Something only one's spouse is permitted to do. "Are you boys alright?!" Hestia bursted in, slamming the door open as she looked at Bell and Welf especially since Helel looked perfectly unblemished.

"We're fine Lady Hestia, just minor cuts." Welf answered, trying to placate the fretting goddess that was going into 'worried mama mode' before slightly becoming nervous when their Captain walked in. "Captain." He greeted professionally since he did not know what the Holy Witch's mood was right now and did not want to be blasted by her spells (she won't, because she's more restraint than she lets on).

"What happened?" Hakuno asked, her tone calm and focused. That was when Helel answered.

"Contractor, the Holy Empire's fanatical faction attacked Orario. They were using some sort of machine capable of negating the Falna at a certain radius." the Ruler began explaining. "Cranel and Crozzo were training with the Takemikazuchi Familia when they struck. A war machine unlike anything I've seen in the shape of an animal was leading the assault. Young Cranel cut the machine-beast down while I took to defending Orario with Empress Nero and King Gilgamesh alongside the Loki Familia. The Freya Familia was escorting the people from poorer districts to safer locations. Casualties were at a minimum on Orario's side, and I spotted a Templar leading the invading forces. They were in retreat when I appeared and attacked them directly."

Hakuno blinked, inwardly relieved that the people of the poorer districts she and Hestia frequently helped were cared for by Freya, and furious that the zealous faction of the Empire was attacking Orario for their xenocide dogma.

Why is it that when it comes to religions with one absolute God in their faith they always have a handful of people who are absolutely mental in their faith? Those kinds of people give the whole faith a bad name even if they were the minor to the major. Father Kotomine was an example of the dark side of the Church in her world if his NPC explained the darker sides of the faith doing dirty work in the name of their Lord. She recalled in her studies in the Far Side about witches and of the Wicca movement…and how some of the more extremists of the Church's followers harassed them.

Since 2020 of her timeline, with the world already depleted of mana and dying. The Wicca Movement was gone and the Church itself was in its dying throes. An era of gods and magic, of faith and hopes were gone. She knew better, that this world has a higher chance of humanity's survival than her own with how much hope for a better tomorrow. Velber caused the world's mana to 'bleed' when it sent its agents. Then a ritual caused by a certain group served as the final blow in draining all the mana from the Earth, which was slowly causing The Spider to wake.

That was why she planned on making the Moon the new sanctuary for mankind in her timeline. That path was the same even before Naruto showed up in the Holy Grail War with his VIP system and then the destiny she was walking into as an upcoming Cypher.

Hakuno took a deep breath, trying to calm her thoughts before looking at Helel and noticed a look of…was that anxiety in his eyes? "Is there something you forgot to mention?" she asked.

The angel looked apprehensive before clearing his throat. "Mum is here to visit you, Cranel, and Goddess Hestia," he admitted. Hestia was confused about whom he was calling 'mum' but Hakuno's mind ran through several alarms at once. Only one person could be considered an angel's mother like Helel.

…

…

…

"Asherah is here?" Hakuno asked, causing Hestia to gasp at the name as Helel nodded his head in confirmation.

*Hearthstone Mansion-Private Room*

She looked out the window, slowly blinking and taking in the sights from the damaged city. The goddess was having some time getting used to seeing the sunlight after so many years trapped in darkness of that wretched pit. Feeling the warmth of the sun, feeling of the wind's breeze, and now the sounds of mortals going about their daily lives even in disaster was something to experience. Especially the third one, since the creation of mortal races was the only time she ever saw them.

Asherah blankly stared out, recalling her dear spouse El and her going on with creating humans. Mortals in the images of gods, with untapped potential. This potential is awakened by one's will to push themselves beyond the limits, by strength of heart. It seemed the descendants of Adam and Lilith had outdone themselves by creating an empire with their 'siblings' the angels supervising. But it still saddened her, how their children had never stayed in Paradise and be guided by her and her beloved's Knowledge and watch them grow up and become something more. A legacy that she and El would be remembered by that sadly will never come to pass.

Rushing feet and the sound of something slamming behind her caused the goddess to turn. An old familiar face, with blue eyes filled with tears as the fellow goddess was crying out her name and tackled her in a tight hug.

"Ashe!" Hestia cried out, sobbing and fretting for her as the goddess blinked. Awkwardly, Asherah patted Hestia's back, unused to interacting with anyone in a very, very, long time. Her expressions have long since frozen in melancholy as all she felt was a void inside her heart.

"Good to see you, Hesty…" Asherah said quietly to Hestia.

"It's good to see you too!" the crying goddess responded as she looked over at her friend's condition. Asherah was considered a beautiful woman, not by Goddess of Beauty standard, but fairly beautiful. Her snow white hair was familiar, similar to Bell's in terms of color. But her golden amber eyes had dulled with time in the darkness. But the important piece of detail about Asherah was her height. She was in the body of a child, around Bell's age. Not in the adult motherly body she was so used to seeing back in Tenkai that made her huggable. Wait no, scratch that. Asherah was still huggable even in her current body.

"Goddess, what did you need us fo-!" Bell walked in with Hakuno right behind, only for the rabbit boy to fall on his back as he was tackled by Asherah who was hugging the now flustered boy.

"Oh? Already nabbing a goddess for yourself Bell?" Hakuno asked, sounding slightly amused as Bell was protesting against any notion of picking up anyone.

Already chaos was unleashed in the Hestia Familia.

*Trailer*

"What is this?" Asherah asked in a tone of utmost seriousness. Unable to comprehend what she beheld in front of her.

"My, if I knew you'd free yourself, I wouldn't have had my children aid in the Dungeon efforts." Freya pouted before turning serious. "But right now, pleasantries must be pushed aside for more serious matters."

The sounds of tightened leather straps and clicking of armor was heard as the gates of Orario began to open, leading out to the frontier.

"Adventurers!" Ouranos called out, as several familia armed themselves for battle. "You enter a battle against regular people who are armed with devices that negate the Falna! Use your natural abilities to their fullest to drive these murders back! Show them that even without the Falna, you are worthy to be called heroes!"

"Contractor, I will send you into the mindscape of this warrior." Helel told his Master, holding the beaten Templar in a firm grip. "Wear away at his loyalties and extract the information of what they are up to and prevent further casualties."

The world got warped, as Hakuno, Ottar, Bete and Tiona entered the Templar's mindscape, as a four winged angel appeared, armed and ready to fight them.

"While we're at it…burn this place to the ground." Hakuno gestured to the makeshift church, built on the ruins of the conquered city littered with burnt corpses of innocents. Jeanne Alter nodded her head in agreement and disgust, and unleashed the might of her Noble Phantasm upon it.

Age of Conquest…

Begins

The rider patted his white horse, while adjusting his crown and checking his quiver before drawing an arrow upon his bow.