Boyzilla Author's Note: Due to IRL reasons, I'm taking temporary control of writing this story. The majority of this chapter was still written by Girlzilla, and I have notes from her plans. She'll return at a later date to write, and she can see the reviews still. But hey, new Servant this chapter! Finally! A reveal of that one non-Fate/Extra Servant for Hakuno! Furthermore, the 20th Anniversary of Fate/Extra is in a few days! I'm dearly hoping for something game-related besides a simple celebratory video! Not that seeing Hakuno-chan in that video wouldn't be amazing enough!

Akash Bloodriver: Curiosity knows no bounds, as does Hakuno's cuteness.

WindbornesWord: Yeah, Hakuno will work on solving her od issues eventually. But you are correct, she can definitely handle more than one Servant with her different limits.

Maglad: Who said anything about no more Servants for the Crew?

To push beyond oneself, break apart the void none dares to, can a lone lunar light shine hope to a universe destined for despair?

Digital/Galaxy

Chapter 20: Grunt and Berserker…?

Hakuno Kishinami stared at the large tank housing the member of the alien species known as Krogans, or at least, an artificial member genetically tailored to fit rather bold specifications. This specimen was the final result in a rather straight-forward, according to Jane Shepard, mission in obtaining a new crew member. She failed in having said crew member join, the Krogan dying in defense of his own work against rogue mercenaries and instead left Shepard with the responsibility on what to do concerning the tank-born Krogan within. The Digital Human had learned all this by skimming through information in the mission report.

She technically wasn't supposed to be in the Port Cargo Area of the SR-2 Normandy, but the magus girl's curiosity was boundless. Hakuno had just met and chatted with Tali'Zorah, a Quarian, and also Garrus, a Turian, and was now interested to know about the Krogan. There was also the Salarian at the CIC Lab, but considering the scientist was busy solving a crucial issue that concerned one of her Servant's future missions… Hakuno decided to let him be for now.

Rider, also known as Commander Jane Shepard, was likely to arrive in the Port Cargo Area shortly. The Heroic Spirit was, by right of authority, responsible in the decision making of what to do with the tank-born Krogan. But Hakuno Kishinami was Rider's Master, her Admiral, the decision rather should be decided between the both of them.

With the exception of the Citadel, an incident that tied directly to the supernatural, Rider had kept Hakuno caged in the relative safety of the SR-2 Normandy. Distancing her Admiral from the nuisances and troubles in vacant colonies, rogue space stations, and now bioengineering laboratories. Though the Servant had given reasonable arguments for each, Hakuno didn't wish to be relegated to a simple crew member on board.

The Citadel was when she pushed against Rider for the first time.

Hakuno Kishinami would not remain so passive. She was a quick study and had combat experience to back it. And although Hakuno had also reasoned that perhaps Rider had fallen back to the ways she'd had possibly done things before her death, this would not be the case for their partnership.

The Digital Human was the Master. Jane Shepard was the Servant.

She had expressed this fact to her own Servant in the Holy Grail War after the first initial weeks, making decisions that weren't so agreeable yet followed through nonetheless. If Shepard continued with the same leadership and decision making in her life, then they would lead nowhere to the truth behind the reason why other Servants were summoned. This was a worrying concern, unless there was some other planet with access to mana, only the Moon Cell should have the capability to summon Servants. Yet, as shown, Assassin was present on the Citadel, a space station with no such source of magical energy. As well as the unknown Heroic Spirit that attacked Tali'Zorah on the human colony. To add to that confusion, that Assassin was Jack the Ripper, the truth revealed after the use of the Servant's Noble Phantasm before her timely death by Rider's hand. A human Heroic Spirit on an alien spacecraft.

Now, a Servant in this space-age wasn't entirely impossible. Hakuno has read all about Shepard's accomplishments, it was one of the first goals that the magus girl set out to know during Rider's missions. A person of such repute would have been stored in the Moon Cell's isolated Throne of Heroes and the observational device was capable of summoning Heroic Spirits outside of the intended purpose of the Holy Grail War. However, the Moon Cell was a logical computer to its core, it would not summon such an unreliable, unpredictable Servant such as Jack the Ripper to handle anything on the Citadel. No, it would pick a Heroic Spirit suitable to the era in question, such as Jane Shepard, or even Neil Armstrong, another Servant that Hakuno briefly saw while passing by in the hallway of SERAPH's illusionary school.

With these facts in mind, that concluded that there was another entity with similar properties to the Moon Cell's own.

Hakuno Kishinami had attempted to inquire her Regalia about this unknown entity. But it seems the results were inconclusion, unable to be determined with the current data available out of possible relation to something called 'Velber'. When she tried to look into that, well, the resulting headache stopped her.

It wasn't that she couldn't obtain the knowledge, but rather the headache made her too fearful to press forward with the Regalia's enormous information. There were more than a few times in the Holy Grail War where Hakuno, in spite of her body as a Digital Human, pushed her brain's limit to a degree where she endangered herself by interacting with the Moon Cell's systems.

That only seemed to worsen with being in the real world. Perhaps, if Hakuno was still within SERAPH then she would be able to push herself more, but it seems that while manifested outside the cyberworld there were more limitations placed on her.

Theoretically, her body and mind would acclimate sooner or later, but that was only a that, a theory.

So, Hakuno was stuck to gathering information in the old fashion way.

Rider had appointed her as the Admiral. While it may have been a temporary method to control the crew's perspective, Hakuno would not ideally stand by with the power behind the rank. It would allow her to question the crew members of the SR-2 Normandy with a certain level of authority, but also make decisions. Not that Rider, Jane Shepard, had let Hakuno do any of such.

And that was the problem.

Shepard treated her more as a liability, someone to be safeguarded far in the backlines. Hakuno Kishinami was little more than a passenger on the SR-2 Normandy, only used to help EDI with certain data or hack through systems with her ability as a Spirit Hacker. Though Rider did allow Hakuno to accompany her on the Citadel, it was under the impression that the station was relatively danger-free. It took Hakuno considerable effort to persuade her own Servant to not bring her back to the ship before finding Assassin.

Rider now knew better than anyone how close that fight had been. If Hakuno Kishinami hadn't been there to supply Code Casts and drive Assassin into a corner by altering the ventilation systems, Commander Jane Shepard would have disappeared. It was a wake-up call that Hakuno hoped would be driven into Rider's head, that a Master and Servant worked together.

As such… Hakuno Kishinami wondered if she should make a rash decision to further prove a point. That Hakuno would use the authority given to her by Rider's own quick-decision, not stand ideally, and wait for the next supernatural-related incident to allow Hakuno to choose.

Her finger hovered over the activation key of the tank containing the Krogan.

The sleeping Krogan almost looked akin to a Berserker Servant, which was certainly a Heroic Spirit that Hakuno hadn't been contracted with before.

She glanced down at the Regalia on one of her fingers. Would the summoning of an additional Servant actually be too far-fetched an idea? It was apparently possible, as evidence of the Regalia's earlier inquiry. The problem lay in managing her magical energy, but so long as both Shepard and the other Servant weren't both in combat for a lengthy duration, it would be fine even with a few Code Casts tossed in.

Rider would probably yell at her for it. A Berserker wasn't a reliable kind of Servant, unlikely to have the sanity to listen to orders. Though, at the same time, a Berserker wouldn't have the desire to interact with the whole crew and may just stick around Hakuno in the astralized state, effectively creating a body-guard.

Inheritor Inquiry to begin Summoning Matrix?

Warning: Individual's Od Reserves insufficient to support two Combat-Active Servants.

Before Hakuno could respond, the sound of escaping air echoed loudly. The young girl realized the error in that she'd accidentally pressed the key to releasing the Krogan in her lapse of thoughts. She took a step back, watching warily as the tank's liquid within was flushed out and the object opened to reveal the large alien within. The Krogan's eyes opened and he stepped out of the tank, Hakuno's took notice that she was tiny compared to his enormous size, his armor was bulky, making his already large figure more pronounced. His facial structure looked very reptilian, with similar dark browns and tan colors to other Krogan images she'd seen online.

A sense of danger coursed through her, causing her magic circuits to switch on with a brief flash of a city lit aflame.

Hakuno immediately moved to the right as the Krogan charged at her with seemingly reckless abandon. His quick, almost preemptive movement saved her from what otherwise would have been devastating for her small figure if he'd hit. She raised her arm right when the awakened Krogan turned, "Code Cast: Hack!"

He'd staggered as a burst of yellow electric-like energy racked his alien biology. But, unlike simple robotic mechs, the Krogan still continued and pinned her against the wall.

It hurt, the strength behind the Krogan's muscles pressed against her frail body.

"New, different, what attack was that, human female?" The Krogan's voice sounded deep and demanding, but there was an air of confusion within its tone.

"A Code Cast," She answered truthfully, eyes staring into his eyes.

"Your gaze is sharp, unflinching, fearless, it doesn't match your fragile figure," He commented. "Code Cast… No memory. Dozens of memories of warlords flow in my head, but that term doesn't exist."

So memories not his own flow in his head?

That reminded her of her own falsified memories, implanted in her as a participant of the Holy Grail War's prologue.

"Create your own memory," Hakuno replied, barely moving under the Krogan's grasp. "What's your name?"

"Name? I do not have a name… Okeer's never delivered one…" The Krogan looked thoughtful. "Legacy… Warlock… Grunt… That last one will do for now, meaningless."

"You gave it meaning," Hakuno said.

"Then Grunt is who I am," He agreed with her statement. "You, who have awoken me, frail yet determined, if you wish to have my command then try to destroy me."

She tilted her head at the odd request, his expression blanked for a moment in response. Hakuno spoke, "Why?"

"Why?" The newly named Grunt said. "Your responses are strange, unlike what I know of humans, creating memories, giving meaning, does showing strength and fighting as I was created to do grant such?"

"It can," She did not deny.

"Then that is what I will do. Now fight, or you will die, human," Grunt stated.

"Instead, I will give you someone to fight," Hakuno said, having noticed the conversation had come to a wall between herself and the tank-born Krogan. She didn't want to risk a Command Spell, which would be crucial in the future, but there was another option. "A Berserker."

Queueing Summoning Matrix.

Matching with prior feedback.

Assigning Spiritron, Applying Class Container.

A bright light of sky blue data particles formed behind Grunt, causing him to drop the Digital Human and face the potential threat. Hakuno Kishinami felt her od drain as another connection through the Contract of her Command Seals was formed. Hakuno rubbed her chest a bit from the aching pain caused by the Krogan's strength, but her eyes never left the forming light as a figure appeared.

Normally, the summoning of a Servant would emit an immense pressure, a Heroic Spirit was the manifestation of heroes or villains from humanity's myth and history… But…

Hakuno Kishinami wondered if something went wrong.

In the place of the summoning was a girl, equal to Hakuno Kishinami's own height. The female Servant was covered head to toe in black and red-colored clothing with the exception of leggings from just above the knees to the boots being a royal blue hue. She wore a long open robe, revealing the armored chest piece and covered groan that left much to be desired, but a hood came up from the robe and covered her head, casting a shadow over the forehead.

She did wear gauntlets of similar black and red coloration, in which her left hand gripped a crimson laser-like blade with a golden hilt. But, as deep a mix of dark hues as her clothes was, it was sharply contrasted by the rather bright white skin tone of her face and naked thighs, amber eyes, and a whitish-blonde hair that reached down to her neck.

However, all that paled in comparison to exactly what this Servant was doing.

She was holding onto a type of chocolate sweet in her right hand close to her mouth, as if she didn't expect to be summoned. The female Heroic Spirit glanced at the Krogan, then to Hakuno.

"Ah…" She spoke softly, recognizing the young magus as her Master. "Heroine X Alter… Class is Berserk, Saber, yes, probably." The Servant said, tripping over her own words. "Um… Master, there is an ugly lizard. Do you want me to chop it up?" She questioned half-heartedly before shoving the sweet into her own mouth, munching contently on its contents.

"This is the Berserker…" It seemed that Grunt was even more confused.

Hakuno honestly didn't blame him.

"Saber," Heroine X Alter corrected with her mouth full.

The door into the Port Cargo Area opened to reveal Commander Jane Shepard at that moment. Who took a quick glance, observed the situation, acknowledge the presence of a non-hostile Berserker Servant, then proceeded to glare at Hakuno Kishinami.

She felt singled out as the cause of all Rider's problems.