Author's Note: This is a rather slow updating story, but I've trouble deciding certain story elements. Apologies about that! Not to mention this is a short chapter.

Impstar: Yes, they're two Servants in one. Like Anne and Mary.

Starlight's Poet: Who knows? I'm sure Hakuno get down to the bottom of this mystery. And yeah, Atreus and Loki will be fun to write later.

KingOfFluff: Oh, I'm sure we'll get some god slaying yet.

Sakaewmatsui: Yes, Hakuno will still summon two additional Servants later.

Student: Who knows? Hestia was never in GOW trilogy.

A crooked branch hangs off the tree, she stands there with the decision to save it, but the Extra within the realm of gods finds herself chained by hands seeking to fulfill their own desires while breaking her own. Now, the Extra must push forward to save the branch from falling into the darkness while keeping her soul untainted.

Digital/Ashes

Chapter 4: Plan Unto War

She would never receive a vocal answer.

But Kratos's gaze had stared off into the distance, a quiet solace, with a sour expression. The unwritten reply that wrote past experiences, that with relations unkind the deities he had known. Hakuno Kishinami knew this occurrence to be more common, what little she has read, the hints that spoke on what the gods would force upon humanity's heroes. They were filled with trails and betrayal, nothing like what Hestia had done for her.

The deities of her old world were flawed in their perceptions concerning humanity, detached from the same morals. Even her memories of a certain goddess, a cheerful magical fox girl, had her own dark secrets concerning what she had done to other humans, before her incarnation as one of them.

At least, this is what Hakuno had known about the Divine Spirits.

But this world wasn't like that… Well, at least it didn't appear to be at first. Perhaps, Kratos' opinion still had justification, in the distrustfulness he had shown Hestia and the simmering rage that he had for Artemis.

She never received a vocal answer from him, but Hakuno Kishinami understood the underlying context. The magus girl had the knowledge, and experience, to know what Kratos inaudibly implied.

"Master, here," Archer's voice knocked Hakuno out of her thoughts.

"Thank you," She reached over and took the plate, basic steamed food sat on it. They were inside her Familia's headquarters, the underground rooms of a ruined church, where they decided to plan over a meal.

Heroic Spirits didn't need to eat to survive, Hakuno was keenly aware of this fact, but that didn't mean they didn't enjoy the luxury. All they required was a source of magical energy, that which their Master provided.

The Digital Human took a pinch of salt and spread it on the dish, it would taste rather bland otherwise. She blew gently a few times before taking a bite, savoring what little flavor it had and enjoying the fact she could satisfy her hunger.

"What's this about 'master', my little mage?" Hestia questioned, glancing to Atreus before setting back her gaze to the brown-clothed girl.

"It's a title," Hakuno replied. "We have a contract, Master and Heroic Spirit." She explained straightforwardly.

"I'm sorry… Spirit?" Hestia said as if she heard incorrectly. "They don't look like the spirits I see around town."

"Correction," Orion said. "Heroic Spirit, implying a Spirit of a Hero? Similar to the heroes of old before Falna?"

"Really!?" Bell exclaimed in eager excitement, looking back to Atreus. "You're like one of those story-book heroes?"

The boy chuckled nervously, "Sorta, I guess? I can't fully remember my legend."

"What about the big dude?" Liliruca Arde asked.

"Father?" Atreus clarified. "He's mostly tagged along, we're like one whole Heroic Spirit as two individuals."

"But… He's a god…" Hestia muttered under her breath. "Right…? The divinity feels off…"

Hakuno Kishinami was aware that Kratos remained on the surface, outside the church, refusing to enter under Hestia's roof. The goddess had a point, a Servant that was two individuals was a very odd case, furthermore, it didn't feel like a Noble Phantasm. But perhaps it was a minor Noble Phantasm and not the main one that crystallized Atreus's legend.

Or course, Hestia didn't know about any of that.

Orion pointed at Hakuno, "That would make her the spirit contractor. There hasn't been one for centuries, possibly thousands of years."

The magus felt oddly the center of attention, "Please don't let that information spread."

"Yeah!" Hestia exclaimed, suddenly behind Hakuno and hugging the young girl. "I don't want some title like 'Contractor of Spirits' to spread and invite more trouble as is!"

"Sounds like an advertisement," Lili said. The small prum pouring tea into mismatched cups.

"No advertisement!" Hestia denied. "Those other gods will want Hakuno's cuteness all for themselves!"

Orion nodded in agreement, "That and other reasons."

Hakuno sighed audibly.

"You're so much trouble," Hestia said. "Why do my Familia members always have so much trouble?"

"Sorry, goddess," Bell muttered.

"Stil, Artemis is after Miss Hakuno," Liliruca stated. "She has already broken Familia Laws between Familias in kidnapping her, and directly attacking another Familia's headquarters."

"It's not unheard of," Orion said. "Other Familia's have perished through such means, under the radar as this currently."

"But we just started!" Hestia exclaimed. "I don't want something disastrous occurring before our myth begins!"

Orion raised her hands, "I didn't mean that they all perished! It's still rare and you have a likely chance of surviving."

"But… I know I'll just return to Heaven…" Hestia trailed off, eyes glancing over her Familia members. "But where's I can come back, my children can't."

Hakuno Kishinami knew that her Familia were in a tight spot, but whereby she'd been an reliability before, now with her Servant the magus had the opportunity to solve this issue. She had the luxury of free information, given by Orion's willingness to aid. If Artemis was by some measure, possessed, corrupted, or controlled by some external force than there was a way to eliminate it.

She had with her the most powerful object beyond the planet, a Regalia that was beseeched unto her an observational device capable of altering reality.

The Moon Cell.

Sure, the Regalia was split into two pieces, but her authority as the victor of the Holy Grail War still granted her privileges… Even if she was hesitant on using it, the memories of the dreams annihilated by her hand in due to that cruel moon, they pushed her away from interacting with it.

But that did not mean she would not use it to help people she cared about.

There were still the unconscious individuals of the Artemis Familia, she could test the viability of curing their controlled status on them.

She stood up, garnering the attention of the others, and walked towards the prone figures of the three girls.

"Hakuno, what are you doing?" Liliruca questioned everyone's thoughts.

"Fixing," Hakuno replied to the point.

"Fixing…?" Orion was puzzled.

Once over them, Hakuno Kishinami took a deep breath; to ready herself. She raised a hand over them, the Regalia adorned on a finger.

A vision of fire and flames, a city covered in ash and soot, the memories of the original signaled the activation of magic circuits channeling od.

"Search, Cure," Hakuno commanded.

Inheritor Inquiry Received. Warning: Limited Authority due to damaged Regalia.

Searching for appropriate Mystic Code…

Hakuno's head started to ache as possible solutions through a variety of Mystic Codes came into her head. There were certain restrictions, requiring additional magical energy or reagents that she couldn't afford. She didn't wish for high-ranking, a basic Mystic Code or Formal Wear would likely provide enough to purge the mental influence.

Only the problem is that while there was plenty to handle physical ailments, not much was particularly suitable in dealing with mental influence. So, instead, she decided to try searching for mental resistance.

Result Found. Equipping B-Rank Mystic Code: Uniform of Ashes.

A bright flash of blue light briefly shined around her, data Spiritrons enveloped her body before dissipating completely as if never there. Hakuno quickly examined her body, there wasn't any visual difference to her clothing, but there was a mental indicator that gave her knowledge on how to utilize new Code Casts.

With her magic circuits still activate, though her reserves have taken a slight blow, the Digital Human used one of the newest magecraft spells.

"Code Cast: Mental Resist 32," She said, her hand directed at the unconscious Artemis members. The girls conflicted expressions while asleep as if their dreams were strange nightmares, but the moment blue light in the form of circles traveled alongside their bodies, these expressions faded away to peaceful ones.

Hakuno Kishinami didn't know if her Code Cast was permanent or not, but it seemed to be effective in warding off the influence. While it may seem a solution to the members, Hakuno wouldn't know whether it would work for Artemis herself until she tested it.

"Think I managed it," Hakuno spoke back to everyone.

"What…?" Orion was confused.

"You helped them?" Bell questioned with a more positive outlook.

She nodded, "Yes, or at least, for a while?"

Bell grinned, "Great!" He didn't question the method. "Alright, so we have a way to help them. Just need to have Hakuno use her magic."

"Provided we can get them without them getting us," Archer pointed out. "But I agree, we can help now!"

"Mouh," Hestia pouted. "Hakuno…" She trailed off.

"Sorry," Hakuno apologized, "I didn't want to be protected so much."

Liliruca slapped her own cheeks; "Ow," she said. "Alright, fine! Sure! Let's ignore the fact that Hakuno just spat in the face of common adventurer sense! What's the plan?"

"We can't take them all at once," Hakuno began. "Single out groups, distract until I can apply the Code Cast," She said. "Avoid Artemis, only Atreus and Kratos can handle her."

"Guerrilla Warfare?" Orion said. "That's… Pretty well-planned. But there's a lot, who are our teams?"

"I'll help too!" Hestia exclaimed.

"Goddess, it's dangerous!" Bell argued.

"She can help," Hakuno said. "Hestia will be with me." She thought for a moment. "Lili with Bell, Orion with Atreus, Kratos also with me."

Archer Servants had Independent Action as a Class Skill, but Hakuno wasn't sure about Kratos. Independent Action allowed a Heroic Spirit to operate without the support of a Master for a certain period of time, depending on the skill's rank.

Although Kratos wouldn't appreciate Hestia's presence, given his obvious dislike of divinity, he would likely be more comfortable with the Goddess of the Hearth in sight rather than not.

Besides, Hakuno wanted to show him that Hestia wasn't a bad person.

She grabbed a piece of paper and lay it on the table for all the see, then grabbed a writing utensil and began drawing the general outline of the Artemis'a Mansion and its surroundings.

Orion arched a brow, "Impressive memory… Your attention to detail is remarkable."

"Couldn't count how many members," Hakuno said.

"Two dozen," Orion provided. "No mages, all huntresses. Few are proficient in melee combat. Most only Level Two, but one is Level Three."

"What about you?" Liliruca inquired.

"I'm Level Three," She answered. "The only other one."

Hestia pressed her fingers against her temple, trying to ease her growing panic, "Hakuno, Bell, and Lili are all Level One."

"My Servants are stronger still," Hakuno reassured. "Levels don't necessarily matter."

"Levels do matter!" Hestia pointed at Hakuno. "There's a great disparity in ability between each Level, Hakuno."

The magus tilted her head, "I didn't see any."

"Y-You-" Hestia has to glance away, take a deep breath, then look back, that didn't diminish the pink on her face. "Why don't you seem to understand that?"

"Hakuno is denser than Bell..." Liliruca stated.

"Hey! I just didn't know things!" Bell excused. "Come on, I'm sure Hakuno has a reason for believing otherwise."

They looked to Hakuno Kishinami expectedly for an answer.

She didn't give any.

Hakuno Kishinami stepped outside the church, spotting the other half of her summoned Servant, Kratos, still sitting on the ruined pillar nearby rubbing a stone against his ax's blade. The chilly wind breezed against her clothes, causing a slight shiver, but the girl walked further out towards Kratos's side. She lifted herself up on a nearby podium, legs hanging as she didn't turn to face him.

"Kratos," She began. "I've made a plan on dealing with the Artemis Familia."

The large man continued to press the stone against the blade, a mild screeching noise occasionally echoed as he slid it across.

She continued, "I've divided us into teams, I have a Code Cast… Um, a spell," Hakuno clarified for him in case he didn't have the term's knowledge usually given by the Moon Cell on summoning. "It can be used on the members to help them think straight again."

"You want to solve this matter without bloodshed?" His every word oozed with experience that doubted her plan.

"Yes, I shouldn't have to kill… Again," Hakuno added the last word.

"Despite your history in that war, you maintain that outlook," Kratos said. "Commendable, if foolish."

"I know," She knew it was a foolish thought. "Still, you'll help me. I don't want to kill Artemis, I think I can help her. But I need you."

Her Servant's magical energy is seemingly divided between both Atreus and Kratos, she didn't know exactly how it worked, but presumably, long combat would be quite unfavorable for them.

"If that is what to do," He resigned. "But I make no promises, girl."

"That's all I ask, Kratos."