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       ❝ Don’t jinx it! What if it does happen! I’ll make sure to go after you and feed you to the zombies! ❞ Though there was desperation and a bit of terror in Gudao’s voice, he didn’t truly mean any of that, nor was the truly scared. Maybe because he was used to zombie movies, and zombie situations, or maybe because he could always rely on his Servants. Not to mention zombies did tend to be kinda stupid, so it wouldn’t be nearly as bad… But still, a bit terrifying, despite everything the young magus had been through.

       He was still amazed, though, at the fact this girl was a legit magus. In the sense that she had participated through a Grail War, that is. They were different than the Grand Orders Gudao and his sister were used to doing, the many Singularities they were part of. He couldn’t help but imagine how scary a genuine war would be.

       ❝ Don’t worry about it. I’m sorry for threatening to kick you off, even though I really wouldn’t. It’s just a bit scary. With all these monsters and what not. ❞ Why was Gudao even hiding, anyways? He should be out there, helping his Servants, healing them, increasing their attack…! But he knew many would think of him to be naive, going out unprotected. He didn’t want to worry and burden them. 

       ❝ I’m Gudao! It’s, well… It’s nice to meet you, even in our current situation. ❞ The young Master smiled, extending his hand at the girl. Everything was less anxiety-inducing when one had company, right? Right? ❝ I haven’t met many Masters before.. I think you’re the second. Aside from my sister, that is. ❞ It may hardly be the time and place to speak of such things, but it was way too hard to contain his curiosity! ❝ Are Grail Wars really that scary? ❞

      His greeting came after hers, as expected, and Hakuno shook his hand quickly before dropping it. Hopefully she didn’t come off as rude. Physical contact just made her-- she wasn’t used to it, not really. Plus, he did seem like a nice boy, pretty rare for her to encounter in this city. 

     However, the words that followed made her more and more-- concerned? Confused? He was a Master-- how had he not met other Masters? How did he not understand the terror of a War? Did he hit his head and lose his memories? ( she could definitely understand the annoyance of amnesia ) Yet, even though it was a possibility that could be the case, her gut told her it wasn’t. Her initial assumption had been that he had come from the parallel world that existed similar to her own, one that other Servants she had met hailed from. Where the world hadn’t lost its power. Where the War wasn’t held on the Moon Cell. Apparently she had been wrong.  

     ❝ -- what? ❞   she couldn’t help uttering her confusion aloud, wincing as at the same time more screams came from below them. This wasn’t the time or place, but she might as well learn a little bit more about her new partner if they were to stick together through this-- mess, she supposed, would be a way to describe it. Answering his question first seemed to be the polite way of going about things though, so she sighed and looked at him seriously. ❝ Of course they are. At least in the War I fought in, the minute you lost, you were dele-- you died. I know there are other cases where the Church, I think it was, protected Masters who lost their Servants. But that wasn’t the case when I fought in it. You had to fight to survive and had to live with watching the losers die, knowing that it was-- it is your fault. ❞

It happens almost too fast to grasp – almost. A year of dealing with singularities and reyshift has left Roman with amazing composure (despite being mission control). The world spins madly; the panicked warning of the scientists linger, mixing with the frantic yells of the other citizens in Roman’s ear, but spinning aside, he catches himself fairly quickly. 

Still, he can’t help but stagger back at the sight of the thing before them – the sheer strangeness an front to the world, straining his eyes as he tries to focus. But, luckily, it hadn’t noticed them yet.  Timing was of the essence, however.  “Well, now that you mention it…” Roman whispers in turn, taking a slow, subtle step back. “Maybe it’s not a bad time to ask. You know, maybe it’s the perfect time.”

Their whispers don’t go unnoticed, however. The wraith shivers, it’s gigantic body twisting round to face them – wrong, wrong on multiple levels. A shriek mingles with the open air and it moves, setting his nerves flame. Then, there’s a light, and a feeling that accompanies it. A familiar, welcomed feeling, like coming home, or putting on a pair of worn gloves. 

Ah, how long it’s been since he used magic.

The wraith runs straight in a shield, bouncing off of it with pure force. It’s glitched, manged body lands with a nasty thump some feet away – still and quiet as the dead. Roman, meanwhile, heaves a sigh of relief. He gives his hand – heavy with ten rings – a tiny shake, quietly whining (ow, ow, ow), before turning to the young lady beside him.

“Uh. S-Surprise! Aha!” Though he smiles, it’s awkward and stiff and just a little nervous. The tips of his fingers tingle, just a little, and goodness, why did he have so much hair! “You know, I think you’re the first person to pick up on that! Or maybe I’m getting lazy with these things. It has been ten years, give or take… Anyway, you got me! Um, if you could keep it a secret, I’d really appreciate it.”

     So he was a Servant. 

     He definitely hadn’t given that sense a few minutes before, but with that barrier and his appearance-- that was new-- she had no doubt he was. The return of their powers had likely caused her to sense it, the sudden surge in presence he gave off, but what did he mean by ten years? Were Servants able to give up their status as Heroic Spirits? Weren’t they summoned from the dead? That’s what the data provided by the Moon Cell told her, though she supposed B.B and her offspring weren’t typical ‘Servants’ either. 

      ❝ I’ll absolutely keep your secret, but right now we kind of need your power, ❞ she said this hesitantly, making sure her voice didn’t shake as the monster continued to screech. God, it was such an uncomfortable presence. What even was this beast? It looked vaguely human but also absolutely monstrous-- raising her hand, she tried to activate view_status(); but immediately flinched as a ringing sounded in her ears alone, before a shock ran through her entire body. ❝ -- Ngh. It’s definitely made of data but it’s corrupted. I can’t-- it won’t let me see anything beyond that. If I try to, I’ll probably collapse. Just don’t let it touch you. Otherwise-- ❞ the beast stood up from the previous impact of the barrier and screamed again, its hand ( if you could call it that ) grabbing at a building to heave itself up. Immediately afterwards, the bricks of the building started to dissolve, to disintegrate. 

     That wasn’t a good sign, and she moved slightly behind Roman in response, hands clenched together. The entire situation was terrifying to her, but he was a Servant. She was a Master. Even if he wasn’t hers, she could still use whatever techniques she had to support him. ❝ Running away might be a good idea but there are probably more all over the city. If we could figure out what they were weak against, then we’d be able to get by easily. ❞ it felt like the War all over again. She hadn’t needed to strategize in a while and these things seemed far more dangerous than the enemies that the Moon Cell produced, but Hakuno also didn’t want to die. Again. 

“Ah, well. Easier said then done, I’m afraid. I tend to worry about everyone! A terrible combination of being a worrywart and a doctor, I’m sure.” Even so, he takes her word for it, rather than push the subject. Oh, he’ll nag her later on until he’s able to get a proper look at her wounds, but only when they’re in the clear. For now, there were bigger things to worry about.

Well, there would be things to worry about, if there were NPCs around. For now, however, the streets were quiet – almost eerily so. It sends a shiver down his spine, chilling him to the core. With the markets barren of life, their escape would be easy. Still, there’s the nagging though that it’s too quiet – as if something was waiting for them, somewhere on the horizon.  Frowning, Roman tries to shake such thoughts away. He’s overthinking things, surely.

“The ferries? Hmm, you’re right, that would probably be the best place to start. Even if it’s not the exit, it’d be a better place to hide then here. And we may run into others!” Part of him hopes no one else is in the distract – that, perhaps, they’re back in the city, safe and sound. A hollow, silly thought, but one he can’t help but cling to. “Miss Hakuno, huh? I’m Romani Archaman, but most call me Roman. You’re right, is it nice to meet you, despite the current situation.”

Following the sign through the market, they pass empty stalls and equally empty streets. It’s mind boggling how lifeless it is. Where were the people? It makes no sense. “Maybe we’re in luck. Maybe they gave up on us and went home for a nap! That’s something I’d do.” Roman tries to smile, but falls short.

And then, a scream pierces the quiet.

    A few things happened at once following their introduction-- a scream, sounds of a crowd running towards them and instead of stopping and attacking them as they would have previously done, they went the opposite way. Past them. Fleeing. Instead of being controlled by the scientists, being forced into a rage, they were terrified. That was the first thing that struck her as odd. Then the announcement came-- the jump back to the city, no longer were they in the markets. The pair had ended up in the same place, coincidentally, but they were not alone. A lone figure stood in the street, facing away from them. 

     And boy was it tall. 

     Hakuno instinctively took a step back at the sight of it. Was that the ‘ghost’ the scientists had just mentioned? It was most definitely not any type of ghost she had seen before, but it was making her feel sick to look at. Glitching. Warped. A fault in the program. But they had also said-- yes, she was able to use her other code casts now.  Was she any more confident? No, she was terrified, but seeing as how she was no longer limited to ;hack, she quickly rubbed a hand along the wound on her arm with ;heal and stepped back once again, quieter, looking at the man beside her. Her hand stung the second she did. 

     ❝ Uh, Mister Roman? I realize this is a really bad time and all but-- ❞ it was an awful time, and she was whispering because of it, but with command seals aching she really had to ask. ❝ Are you a Servant? ❞ He hadn’t looked like one. Not at all. She had presumed he was a normal man when they first met as he had seemed exactly like one-- but now, he was definitely not. 

       HE HAD been ready to fight ( even though he couldn’t even fight ) the moment he saw a hand reaching for the edge, but the girl’s expression had been far more surprised than infuriated – like everyone else’s, really, they all seemed far too angry with his presence even though Gudao couldn’t understand why.

       And the same feeling he had towards his sister, the same feeling he constantly felt towards a few others in this place, it happened with this girl, too. The feeling of not another magus, but another Master. The markings on her hand proved such, but… It couldn’t be coincidence, right? Right?

       ❝ H.. Hello…? ❞ Great, this was awkward. Massively so. But it was a good thing Gudao was used to awkward greetings – he had past overcome such things, even when it came to, well… Masters that he never really had the opportunity to truly meet. When he had come to Chaldea there were plenty of Masters Candidates, but not actual Masters with actual Servants and actual Command Seals like the both of them! ❝ Mhm, here we are. I won’t kick you out of my hiding spot, I promise. ❞ Was she even concerned about that? 

       He fidgets a bit, pulling his feet closer to him. Now what? ❝ It’s a good thing we found each other, I guess. I mean, dealing with everything by yourself can be pretty scary, right? It’s like some sort of zombie apocalypse… but without the zombies. And hopefully without the eating. ❞

    ❝ That’s nice, though I probably wouldn’t have left even if you did. No offence, I just really don’t want to go back down there, ❞ but she would have to, eventually. She also bit back the idea that this Master could not possibly own a rooftop. Kicking a poor, defenseless girl off of a rooftop into the danger lurking below-- guilt tripping him would have been an option too, had he actually tried to boot her off. Still, he seemed like a nice enough guy, awkwardness aside. A change from the Masters that she had faced off against on the Moon Cell. 

      Not sure if it was a positive yet. 

     Sliding herself down onto the ground, arms dangling off he edge of the building so she could see what was happening below, she grumbled at the sheer ridiculousness of this situation. ❝ I mean, after fighting through a Holy Grail War, I’m becoming pretty numb to this sort of thing, ❞ especially after dying in said War. ❝ I wouldn’t put it past those scientists though-- zombies could be their next plan of action, or something like it. Maybe they won’t eat us but they’ll try their hardest to mess with us in some way. I swear they probably have a book of ideas that they can’t wait to throw at us. ❞

Roman nods and considers, attentive as he can be; though his attention drifts marginally to listen to the area beyond their hideout, just once. Luckily, he hears neither the calls of their hunters, nor the approach of footsteps, allowing a small reprieve. Truly, he can’t help but smile – not for their marginal freedom, but for the young lady’s concern. Until now, he’s never encountered someone who was actually concerned about the original inhabitants of the city.

“You’re right. For their sake, as well as ours, I hope we can avoid any future confrontations.” They were like sleepwalkers, pulled along by an invisible thread; forced to dance until they were told, or stopped by force. Quietly, Roman hopes they won’t remember. But then, their captors have never been the overtly kind type. 

“Well, that’s good. I mean, I can’t say I’m happy about you being hurt, but at least it’s nothing too bad. Once we’re in the clear, I’ll treat any and everything. Promise!” Try as may to remain positive, he can’t help but frown, just a little. Her wounds aren’t serious – as she says – though there’s something off about them. But now was neither the place, nor the time, to inquire about them.

“That’s true. It’s only a matter of time before they start checking under things, I’m sure. So, moving is our best option until we find the exit.” Nodding to himself, Roman raises a finger and ducks his head out from beneath the table. Completely and totally impulsive, but it only takes a moment. When he reemerges, he gives the thumbs up.

“The close is clear! So, miss, should we go? I have no idea where the exit is, but there’s safety in numbers.”

     It was a pleasant surprise that he agreed with her. She had assumed, perhaps wrongly, that most would be of the other opinion that those who attacked them were purely enemies and nothing else. It was a fair thing to feel after all, nobody wanted to be killed over something as stupid as a ‘test’. Hakuno simply cared about other people, even NPCs, more than she valued her own safety. This man was nice too-- willing to treat her wounds even though they had only just met. A doctor? His coat certainly seemed like it had come from a lab.  

     ❝ You shouldn’t worry about me. They will probably heal by themselves if I give them the time to. Probably. In the meantime, I’ll just avoid getting anymore. ❞ easier said than done when they were the targets of an entire population. And then, as if he was aiming for the opposite to happen to him, he rolled right out from underneath the table. Not the way she would have done it but he seemed happy to dive head first into trouble. Once he returned, she was happy to step out herself.

     He was right about nobody being around, but it was almost eerily quiet. The yelling from earlier had moved so far away that it was only muffled now. It made the mood slightly more ominous, if she was being honest, and her hand twitched out of nerves. ❝ Uh, well, I’ve only ever been here once and that was when we weren’t being hunted for sport but I think there was a ferry service that ran to the city itself, ❞ she paused, thinking on where it was-- or if it would even still be running in this situation. ❝ We could always try there first. Even if it isn’t running, we still need to find somewhere safer than a table. ❞

   MAGIC? akira’s brows furrowed curiously at her ( minimal ) explanation. rushing to the aid of another seemed rather futile in a setting where many possessed extraordinary abilities. although he, too, happened to be among the gifted, the teenager had become accustomed to concealing his true power ( along with his now-infamous moniker, joker ). that wasn’t going to change during this interaction, either. he realized that it would take time getting use to his new set of circumstance before striking fear in the hearts of evildoers once more.

   a small smile greeted the brunette as they continued walking, staying in line with his silent protagonist archetype, remaining quiet as she commented. it wasn’t until she inquired about the reasoning behind his impromptu robbery–sticky fingers latching onto the injured stranger’s skateboard–that he began speaking, once more.

      ‘ hm? the skateboard? ’ a small pause, gesturing towards the protruding item, seemingly crammed into his ( rather stylish ) backpack. a pair of fingers press against the bridge of his glasses, adjusting them ever so slightly, proceeding bluntly. ‘ he’ll come looking for it soon enough. when he does, i’ll be waiting for him. ’ it may have sounded purposefully vague, but that’s because it was intended to be. if he were to test the limits of his strengths within the city, he would have to eventually pick a target.

      ‘ where are my manners? we’ve been walking together for about 7 minutes now and i still haven’t introduced myself. my name is akira, and you are? ’

     This guy was definitely the cunning sort. A real smooth operator. If she didn’t know any better, she’d say he could easily be a criminal-- but there’s no way, right? He was a nice guy, at least he was being nice to her ( the brute, well, he didn’t sound like he had a good future coming. maybe he deserved it. maybe. )

     Manners were all she needed to stick around however, so she was content to remain walking by his side for the time being. Not like she had anywhere to go home to, no apartment, no house. Being on the move in the streets was probably her better option. Good company, that just made time that would otherwise be wasted pass by in a better way. Made her feel like she was doing something, anything, with her time that wasn’t pointless. ❝ Well, try not to get hurt if you do come across him. He was a big guy. Be careful. ❞ A short word of warning would alleviate her worries on the potential fight that he felt would happen should the man pursue the stolen skateboard, but this boy-- Akira-- he seemed confident. Probably had a few tricks up his sleeve.

      So maybe his luck didn’t run out in this dump! The hound having a shimmer of hope in his eyes when he watched the girl pull out her lighter. “Finally!” Cu rejoices, grinning widely and leaning towards the flame. The cigarette rested at the edge of his lips, letting it simmer within the flame to catch itself lit. He gives the stick a few puffs, enjoying the bitter taste of the cigarette, but of course keeping the smoke out of her face. “Thank’s little Lady, I was going crazy without my lighter. Damn pain in the ass to find one for free.” Lancer taps the ashes to the ground, red hues staring at her while brows raise.

        “I’m pretty good at remembering cute faces like yours, but don’t take it the wrong way…Have we met before?”

     Usually she was the one plagued with the faults in memory, but it seemed like the Servant in front of her had a gap in his own too-- and it was her own identity. Sure, she hadn’t really interacted with him much, but Hakuno had at the very least worked with Rin quite a bit on the Moon Cell. Her eyebrows furrow as he takes a few puffs, trying to figure out if this city simply robbed him of certain recollections, but then again--

     This could just be Lancer before the Moon Cell. Servants were summoned throughout history, if she remembered correctly, and he could be from the past-- or something more convoluted that she wasn’t willing to strain her brain understanding. 

“Really? I think I spent most of that time running. At first I thought they wanted my money, but as it turned out, they really just wanted my blood. Haha…” Roman takes a much needed breath, and welcomes the air to his lungs. Bruised and battered, everything ached – the only difference being how much. Still, he pulls his knees against his chest and curls into a ball to make room for them both. The last thing he wants is to endanger her or her hiding spot.

“Like an RPG? Huh… Now that you mention it, their sudden behaviour is pretty similar to enemy units.” No wonder it felt vaguely familiar. “It would explain the sudden mob mentality, too! And that eerie look in their eye.” Like puppets, pulled along by invisible string. Which also meant there was no negotiating with them, either. Until the scientists decided to put things back to normal, or call off current events, they’d be chased on sight. Killed, too, if they were caught.

It’s a harrowing though; one that sends a shiver down Roman’s spine. But, he shakes it off and smiles. Things have been bad before, and he’s survived. He’ll survive here too, and failing that, do his best for those around him. It’s the least he can do, after all. 

“Well, that’s good to know. Anyway! Are you all right, miss? No cuts or bruises? I imagine the enemies here haven’t been too kind to you either, given how I was treated.”

      She had originally felt a spark of anxiety at the arrival of the man, worrying if he’d be an unwelcome companion or not. Knowing this city and the people that populated it, not all of them were friendly-- some were dangerous, aggressive and downright evil. Luckily she had never met them, at least not for too long, and this man didn’t seem to be a part of their population either. He was nice, accepted her weird video game comparison with ease. 

     ❝ ... I feel bad for them. I doubt they wanted to attack us. They’re just being controlled. ❞ They were like her, she could very easily have been in their position had everything in the Moon Cell not happened. Hopefully this would all end soon, hopefully they would regain their senses. It was making her uncomfortable seeing them manipulated like this.

      ❝ But I’m fine. They got a couple of hits in when I was first brought here and confused about everything but nothing overly serious, ❞ pulling up the sleeve of the uniform she continued to wear for lack of any other clothing, she showed off the rather ugly looking bruises and cuts that littered her forearm-- but it was not red, no sign of blood, rather patches of purple and black that looked downright out of place. It wasn’t like she was flesh and blood-- she was code, data. ❝ See? I’m not going to die from a couple of scratches. ❞ 

     ❝ Woah. ❞

     Somehow, despite everything that had happened to her in her short life, Hakuno couldn’t help but be surprised by what she saw. In the midst of her scurrying from alley to alley, corner to corner, she saw a boy somehow be completely missed by a large group of their pursuers despite his rather terrible hiding space crouched behind a table. His white hair did blend with the white table cloth, but still, it was a small miracle that they didn’t even glance his way. 

     So she approached, his better interests in mind. ❝ Even if you were pretty lucky just now, it would probably be a good idea to get to a better hiding place-- or somewhere out of here all together, ❞ the rendezvous point that had been briefly mentioned, their way out of here. ❝ It’d be bad if so many of them spotted you later, and I don’t want to see anyone get hurt just because we’re being tested. ❞ She was so tired of the scientists and their tricks. Helping someone else, and being in a rational person’s company, would at least alleviate some of her stress. 

     A day in the life was fast becoming one where she was chased without much of a break in between-- even the kids of the street were chasing here, which was pretty frightening when they screamed so loudly. So far, unguarded market stalls and store fronts had worked as hiding places, but only until the owners returned and quickly started the game of cat and mouse over again. 

     Which was why Hakuno was currently scaling the shambling fire escape of one of the buildings in an attempt to take refuge on the roof. It would give her a bird’s eye view of the happenings below, as well as working as a decent hiding spot. She hadn’t expected another person to have had the same idea though, especially not one whose hand held a similar marking to her own. A coincidence, probably, but this city was prone to messing with her in many ways too.  

     FEAR WAS NO STRANGER, in fact one of the many foundations upon which he was throned. He was well accustom to the effect his countenance may have on others, but while advantageous in certain circumstances, other times it stilled his hand. This was neither, merely the recurring misinterpretation of his appearance that perhaps he meant harm or boded certain peril. In most instances, that would be the case, as he existed solely as a harbinger, to foreshadow the demise of his own. But as of late, he was only a ghost, shrouded in thought.

     He knew not of that discomfort, suspended in a silence alongside another but feeling no obligation to break it. The girl, however, felt differently, hoping to ease her evidently unsettled nerves by initiating conversation. All the while he had been contemplating that familiar air about her– just like previous encounters, there was a distinct magical residue rolling off her. Despite her likely experience with that beyond understanding, her reservations were clear, still so in her voice.

     The Old Man would do nothing to assuage her discomfort at first, his attentions strayed instead toward the flutter of wings. A moth was drawn to what little light he could give, and he reached for it carefully.

          ❝Dost thou seek battle? The Holy Grail, perhaps?❞ he countered with his own question, as the moth settled on his raised finger, ❝Futile– fear me not, child. There is no such war here.❞

     He would not shy from truths, no sugaring his words or intent. He wished only to make his own motives plain, that’s all.

     ❝ Do I seek-- oh, no. No way, ❞ she had already gone after that Grail once, there was no way she needed to chase after it again-- and face deletion on top of it all. It had been quick and painless but nothing she needed to relive. Existing was far more enjoyable than fading into the sea of binary. ❝ I don’t need the Grail. I won it before and I didn’t even get a commemorative t-shirt. I’m not really eager to dive back into another War for nothing. ❞ The Moon Cell really needed to fix that, she mused halfheartedly, in the case that an NPC ever won again-- there had already been two incidences of it happening, and neither could claim the prize. Their system really needed work.

     Did this Servant really think that she could fight him-- it? Was it even a human being? Hard to tell, but it spoke in a ‘ye olde’ manner and that at the very least confirmed that it-- he wasn’t a Berserker. The two Berserkers Hakuno had encountered both preferred to scream their greetings, and that was about it. Well, no, that really didn’t confirm anything. 

     At this point she was just guessing, speculating.

       the feeling of nostalgia – yes, even Servants came to feel it. Memories, whether vague or clear as day, of past Wars. Some held those in a fond light, some thought not much of it; it was just another War, another answer of a summoning, another fight for the Grail, for wishes to come true. Karna thinks fondly of them, most of the time. For all it was worth, he prides himself in all the Masters he came to have, all the magi he obeyed with all his loyalty and fought for without thinking much of it. He recalls a War in which little he had heard from his Master’s mouth, instead following words of a man he didn’t consider such even if he had to come to follow some of his orders.

       He recalls a War on the Moon, and a lazy Master. Useless, if he could even speak of it, always locked in her room and refusing to fight and even when they did, most of the time she just complained. A Master who most of the time acknowledged him as the truly useless one ( she was right, of course, there was no joy or sadness to be felt before such words ), but at times still clung to him, to his cape and spear, to wishes of kill them, Karna! I don’t want to hear from them anymore! Come on, you useless Servant! – and of course, all Lancer – no, Launcher – did was obey, close his eyes and nod at his Master’s orders, no matter how childish and selfish they came to be.

       Sometimes, surprisingly, Karna even came to disobey them.

       ❝ That is indeed me. Hakuno Kishinami. I suppose it’s good to see you again. ❞ After all that had happened, Karna’s defeat against Hakuno’s Servant, how long he had withstood those wounds for the sake of his Master, staying with her until the very end, refusing to offer the help the other had sought of him solemnly because he was Jinako’s, no matter how much, deep inside, Karna had wished to help. ❝ Of course. Most Servants rarely blend in well no matter where it is. ❞ He hadn’t expected to, lest of all sought to become one with the city – even now that he had found himself a job, even now that Lancer spend his time tending to flowers. ❝ Have you grown used to this place? ❞ Far from the Moon, and even farther from a War.

      ❝ Nice to see you too. ❞  

      That was a start, at least. Her memory of him wasn’t imagined as some of the others might have been, or at least, that was what she felt. Hard to trust all these new memories flooding into her head when she was brought here against her will. So this was Lau-- Lancer. Lancer, not Launcher. Karna. That class had been given to him by his Master. A weird decision on her part, but she had been rather obsessed with video games and the like-- oh, Hakuno remembered that much as well. The Master’s name was still missing, but little pieces of information flooded her head as she tried to remember. Karna’s Master had been--

     --An absolute NEET, right? 

     Yeah, that sounded right. She had locked herself up in a closet, not allowed the rest of the group in her blurry memory of the labyrinth to use Lancer as a means helping towards their escape. Because that much was clear-- Karna was strong, he was very, very strong. Strong enough to surprise-- someone. That golden Servant. At least, she thought so. 

     ❝ I’m... as good as you can be in a place like this. Being kidnapped and all-- though, I probably adapt here better than most since I was never really ‘master material’ to begin with-- and most of my time here is spent pretty blandly, ❞ before the War had started, she had been in a rather mundane pattern-- before her awareness had really and truly kicked in, told her something was wrong. Hakuno Kishinami was not suited for a War in the slightest, that truth had never changed despite her victory. Apparently crying when the other team lost was frowned against-- supposedly allowing another competitor to escape the Moon Cell when you would be deleted was unheard of. None of that really bothered her though. She had done what she had deemed as right. ❝ It is nice to see you though. Have you come across, well, anyone else by chance? ❞ a pause. Her Servant-- Servants, were here at least, but the location of the others remained unknown.