Hazard Grand Order

Ritsuka mumbled in his sleep, a deep frown creasing his face as he hugged something solid and firm. His arms tightened around it, his grip possessive as he grumbled, "Takato… don't go to the gym… Stay soft… huggable… warm…" His cheek nuzzled against the cold, rough surface of what he thought was his younger brother, but it was oddly… hard? And not at all comfortable.

A frantic voice cut through his dream.

"Master! Wake up! You need to wake up right now, or you're going to die! I will slap you if I need to!"

Ritsuka groaned, barely registering the urgency in the voice. "Five more minutes… Takato, eat more rice… be warm and fluffy again…"

"MASTER!!"

The shout, along with the words "you're hugging a rock", finally penetrated his sleepy haze.

His eyes snapped open.

He was, indeed, hugging a Takato-sized rock.

He gasped dramatically. "I AM UP, DON'T SLAP ME!!!"

Scrambling away from the rock, he whipped his head around in a panic. That's when he saw it.

The sky was a fiery red, thick with smoke and embers drifting through the air. Below him, the ground was cracked and scorched, deep fissures running through the streets. Buildings in the distance collapsed one after another, crumbling into dust. Explosions echoed across the ruined city as fire engulfed what was left standing.

Ritsuka let out a strangled shriek, jumping to his feet. "W-WHERE AM I?!"

Mash, the young girl who had been desperately trying to wake him up, took a deep breath, trying to calm him. "Please, Master, I know this is overwhelming, but I need you to listen—"

"Nope, nope, nope—this is a dream. This is a nightmare. Where's the exit? Where's the—" He froze mid-rant, his wide, frantic eyes darting around.

Takato.

His heart pounded.

"Where's my little brother?" His entire demeanor shifted, his voice dropping into something eerily serious, far from his usual antics. His expression hardened as his sharp gaze locked onto Mash.

Mash hesitated, but Ritsuka's eyes bore into her, demanding an answer. "We… we must have been Rayshifted to the past," she explained carefully. "But because we didn't use the proper Rayshift coffins, we got separated, or… worse."

She trailed off, unable to finish the thought aloud. She didn't want to say it—she didn't even want to think about the possibility of what could have happened to Takato.

Ritsuka, however, heard enough.

He exhaled, rolling his shoulders, as if shaking off his panic. He took a deep breath, placing a hand over his heart, centering himself. Then, nodding firmly, he declared, "I'll have to use my big brother instincts to find my teddy bea— I mean, my little brother."

Mash blinked, caught off guard. "Teddy…?"

"Forget that," Ritsuka said, waving her off. "I have one last question before we start searching."

Mash straightened, relieved that he was regaining his composure. "Of course, Master! I'll answer anything you need to know."

Ritsuka nodded, then casually lifted his left arm. "Okay. First off—why do I suddenly have this glowing red tattoo?" He gestured to the Command Seals now etched into his skin.

Mash blinked. "Oh. That's because you are now a Master."

Ritsuka raised an eyebrow. "Master of what, exactly? If this is what I think it is, my mom warned me about girls like you, I always hoped she was right"

After hearing Ritsuka's words Mash sputtered and her already red face became even redder, she hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath then continued, "You are now my Master. The Command Seals on your arm signify our contract."

Ritsuka processed that for about two seconds before raising his next question. "Uh-huh. Next: Why are you dressed so skimpy right now?"

Mash immediately turned red. "T-This is my combat attire, Master!" she stammered, flustered beyond belief.

"Uh-huh, sure," Ritsuka said, nodding knowingly, though his face betrayed his skepticism. "And last but not least—what's with the big adult-man-sized shield you're carrying?"

Mash's embarrassment melted into a more serious expression. She gripped the massive shield with both hands. "I am a Demi-Servant of the Shielder Class, Master. My weapon is this shield, which serves as both my offense and defense. My role is to protect my Master—that means you."

Ritsuka blinked, looking at the shield, then back at her. "...Okay, fair enough."

Mash sighed in relief, but Ritsuka wasn't done.

"But that still doesn't explain why your battle outfit looks like someone took half of a full set of armor and forgot to finish the rest."

Mash's face burned red again. "IT'S JUST HOW IT WORKS, OKAY, MASTER?!"

Ritsuka chuckled at her reaction, but his amusement quickly faded as his mind snapped back to the real issue—Takato was missing.

His expression darkened again, his body tensing as he looked back toward the burning city. His instincts screamed at him that Takato was out there. Somewhere. His grip on his wrist tightened. He had to find him.

"Alright, Mash," he said, his voice steady and firm. "Where do we start?"

And with that, their search for Takato—and the truth behind this ruined world—began.

-------------------

Warm.

Soft.

Something fluffy pressed against Takato's face, blocking his vision entirely. It was warm, smelled faintly of fur, and emitted soft, rhythmic snores.

Takato sighed. "Okay… What now?"

Lifting a hand, he gently pulled away whatever was blocking his face. His eyes landed on a small, curled-up creature—Fou—who let out a sleepy mumble and remained in a tiny ball even as Takato held him.

Takato blinked.

"Well, that's adorable."

Standing up carefully, still cradling Fou in his arms, Takato finally took in his surroundings. Ruins. Fire. Destruction. A city crumbled around him, thick smoke clouding the air as buildings in the distance collapsed into dust. A river ran nearby, its water reflecting the burning sky.

His heart pounded. Where am I?

A small yawn from Fou interrupted his thoughts. The little creature stirred awake, stretching lazily before leaping onto Takato's right shoulder as if it were his personal perch.

"I take it you're used to waking up in burning cities?" Takato muttered, glancing at his tiny companion. Fou simply tilted his head, unbothered. Before Takato could ask anything else, a blue holographic screen suddenly flickered into existence before him, making him instinctively flinch.

Then, a man's face appeared—a red-haired, man who looked relieved the moment he saw him.

"Takato! Thank goodness you're safe!" the man—Romani Archaman—exclaimed. "I've been trying to contact Mash and your brother for hours, but neither of them have responded. Do you know where they are?"

Takato, still groggy, frowned. "What?" He shook his head, forcing himself to wake up fully. He had assumed Mash and Ritsuka were nearby—but as he looked around, they were nowhere in sight.

A pang of fear gripped his chest.

Memories from before he blacked out resurfaced—Mash injured, bleeding everywhere… His brother…

Takato's fists clenched. "They're not with me."

Romani sighed in frustration, rubbing his forehead. "Figures… Alright, let's stay calm. According to our sensors, there are a couple of readings near your location. Maybe you'll find them there."

Takato exhaled, steadying himself. He had to find them.

He looked back at Romani through the holographic screen, his expression more determined. "Where am I?"

Romani hesitated for a moment before answering.

"You're in Singularity F—a temporal anomaly in 2004, during the Fifth Holy Grail War. Until the cause of the singularity is resolved and the Holy Grail is retrieved, there's no way to return to Chaldea… or your time."

Takato took a deep breath, absorbing the information. Time travel? Wars? Grails? None of it made sense to him. But what mattered now was finding Ritsuka and Mash.

He nodded. "Alright. So where's the nearest life sign?"

Romani hesitated again. "It would be safer to stay put and wait for Mash and Ritsuka to find you first. You're defenseless right now—"

Takato groaned. "No way. I'm not sitting around while people I care about are in danger."

Romani's eyes glinted as he looked at Takato with curiosity. "You speak as if you've faced dangerous situations before."

Takato puffed out his chest slightly, an unconscious smirk forming on his lips. "That's because I have. I saved the world once, y'know."

Romani blinked. "…Excuse me?"

Takato's grin widened. "Four years ago, I fought monsters made of data and stopped an entity that tried to consume Earth. I'm a Digimon Tamer."

To prove his point, he held up his golden D-Arc.

Silence.

Then, Romani's eyes widened in recognition. "Wait—you're THAT Takato Schmidt?! The Digimon Tamers incident caused an uproar in the Mage Association!"

Takato raised an eyebrow. "Wait, what?"

Romani quickly explained. "Your actions exposed some of the mysteries of the world to the general populace! You and your friends essentially revealed a realm full of phantasmal creatures, unique biomes, and unknown energy sources—something magi had spent centuries researching with no results!"

Takato blinked. He had never thought about it like that before, as a kid he just was happy to learn that the creatures from his favorite TV shows were real, and that he got his very own partner who became his best friend.

Romani continued, "Not only that, but the Mage Association couldn't approach you or the other Tamers because your identities were publicly known. Too many eyes were watching, so it was impossible to make contact while keeping our secrecy."

Takato nodded slowly, his excitement fading into thoughtfulness. "I… I guess I never thought about that. But that means…" His expression darkened slightly. "…Some magi wanted to get close to us for some reason."

He clenched his fist, making a silent vow. 'When I get back, I need to check on my friends. I don't know why, but I have a very bad feeling about mages finding their way into the digital world or getting too close to my friends.'

Romani sighed, shaking his head. "Look, I get it. You're capable. But if you're going to explore, you need protection. Which means…"

Takato tilted his head. "Which means?"

Romani smirked. "You need to summon a Servant."

Takato's eyes widened, and the same childlike excitement that Takato had when he heard that magic was a real thing returned, "Wait… you mean like ACTUAL magic?"

Romani chuckled. "Yes, but it's not as simple as in games or anime. First, you'll need to awaken your Magical Circuits. Then, you'll have to use a leyline for summoning. Normally, Chaldea would assist with the energy strain, but our systems are too damaged. That means you'll need to fuel the summoning entirely with your own Od."

Takato's excitement wavered slightly. "…Oh. That sounds a little more complicated than just chanting some words."

Romani nodded. "It is true. Without a catalyst, the Servant you summon will be determined by your personal compatibility. There is no reliable way to predict how you are compatible, which means that essentially every Servant from human history can become your potential partner."

Takato perked up at that. "Wait—so I could summon ANY hero? From any part of history?"

Romani smiled. "As long as humanity remembers them as important, yes. They could be from any mythology, any era—even an anti-hero, or a monster from legend."

Takato hesitated, his expression turning slightly hopeful. "What about… inhuman heroes? Ones that weren't originally from the physical world?"

Romani's smile faded as he pieced together what Takato was really asking. He sighed. "If you're talking about summoning a living hero, it's impossible. A person still in the middle of their legend can't be summoned. As for foreigners whose origin came from another world… it's never been attempted. The chances are… probably not even in the single digits."

Takato's shoulders slumped slightly, his excitement dimming.

Romani quickly added, "But just because it hasn't been done before doesn't mean it's impossible."

Takato shook his head, sighing. "You don't have to try to make me feel better. I let my emotions control me for a second. I know Guilmon is a hero—he saved the world. He even became famous for it. But… even if I can't summon him, I'll still respect whoever answers my call."

Romani smiled softly. "You don't have to apologize, Takato. And I respect that mindset. Doubt is dangerous—holding onto resolve is what makes a good Master."

Takato exhaled, shaking off the last of his doubts. "Alright. Let's do this. Teach me how to summon a Servant."

----------------------

Takato sat cross-legged on the scorched ground, closing his eyes as instructed.

"Find your core," Romani's voice guided him through the live broadcast. "Your soul, your essence—it's connected to your dormant Circuits. You need to wake them up."

Takato took a deep breath, shutting out the destruction around him. He focused inward, diving deep into himself, searching for something—anything—that felt like power.

At first, there was nothing. Just darkness. Then—he saw it. A brilliant light, warm and overwhelming, shining like the sun in the depths of his being. Yet, as he observed, something was missing. There were no Circuits connected to it. No magical nodes threading out from this core of energy. Just… raw, untamed power.

"Huh…" Takato furrowed his brows. That didn't seem right.

But he didn't falter.

He concentrated, reaching out to the blazing sphere that felt endless—like it could burn the heavens themselves. He willed it to do something, anything.

Then—like a flashbang, it ignited.

The brilliant golden glow burst into crimson flames, its power surging outward like an inferno. The overwhelming energy from before suddenly felt like a mere ember compared to the sheer magnitude of what was now unleashed.

The darkness surrounding his core burned away, revealing a single sigil at its center— The Digital Hazard.

It pulsed with radiant, chaotic energy, brighter than the core itself.

Takato's eyes snapped open, sweat dripping down his face as he gasped for air. He felt drained yet alive at the same time, his body trembling from the experience.

As he panted, trying to regain his composure, he glanced toward Romani's screen—only to see the doctor completely slack-jawed in awe.

Takato blinked. "…Did I do something wrong?"

Romani didn't respond for a solid five seconds. Then, suddenly— "HOW DO YOU HAVE A DRAGON CORE IN THE AGE OF MAN?!"

Takato flinched at the sheer volume of Romani's shout. "Wait—what?! A dragon what?!"

Romani, still looking like he was having an existential crisis, ran a hand through his hair. "A Dragon Core—it's not just a power source, it's an Od factory. Magical Circuits are NOTHING compared to that!"

Takato tilted his head in confusion. "So… is that a good thing?"

Romani let out an incredulous laugh. "Takato, you essentially won the mage lottery. Your magical reserves surpass those of every Magus family in the world combined; the only limitation will be your talent in magecraft."

Takato flushed, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment from all the attention, "Uh… cool, I guess? Can we move on?"

Romani took a deep breath, rubbing his temples. "Fine. We'll focus on the summoning for now, but we're SO coming back to this later."

Takato nodded, eager to move forward. "Alright, how do I do this?"

Romani instructed, "You're standing on a Leyline right now, which is perfect. All you need to do is draw a five-sided star on the ground, focus on your core, and send as much Od as you can into the circle.

The third and most important step is a passive one— the Heaven's Feel ritual, also known as the Holy Grail War. If you attempt to summon a Servant outside of this ritual, you'll do nothing but kill yourself. Fortunately, we're in the middle of a Grail War right now, so that shouldn't be a problem."

Takato nodded, quickly drawing the summoning circle into the dirt.

"Once your energy reaches the Leyline and connects with the planet's power, you'll need to chant the incantation. And no matter how drained you feel—DO NOT break the connection!"

Takato exhaled, focusing. His core pulsed, filling the circle with a fiery red glow. Then, taking a deep breath, he began the incantation—

"Silver and iron to the origin.

Gem and the archduke of contracts to the cornerstone…"

As he spoke, he placed his golden D-Arc at the center of the circle, hoping beyond hope that it would serve as a catalyst.

"Shut (fill).

Shut (fill).

Shut (fill).

Shut (fill).

Shut (fill).

Simply, shatter once filled…"

The circle pulsed, its glow intensifying. Takato felt the Leyline pulling on his reserves, but to his surprise—his core produced mana faster than it was being drained.

"I announce… Your self is under me, my fate is in your sword.

In accordance with the approach of the Holy Grail, if you abide by this feeling, this reason, then answer!

Here is my oath.

I am the one who becomes all the good of the world of the dead.

I am the one who lays out all the evil of the world of the dead!

You, seven heavens clad in three words of power, arrive from the ring of deterrence, O keeper of the balance!"

The circle erupted in light.

A sphere of pure energy formed at its center, breaking apart into three glowing rings.

Romani's voice echoed through the connection, "Takato! You're doing great! You're almost there!"

The D-Arc at the center of the summoning circle began to glow.

Unknown to everyone, it had connected to the Digital World.

As the rings closed around the sphere, a massive pillar of magical energy surged into the sky.

A silhouetted figure formed.

Romani gasped. "Incredible readings… This might be an amazing Servant!"

The light faded, revealing a woman with short, dark red hair, a beauty mark below her right eye, and a serious expression.

She stepped forward, speaking in a composed yet authoritative tone—

"Nice to meet you. My name is Bazett Fraga McRemitz. I have been summoned as the vessel for the Divine Spirit Manannán mac Lir.

You may call me Bazett, Manannán, or even Mananán… whatever is easiest for you.

I'm well-versed in fieldwork and retrieving hazardous goods. Please do not hesitate to assign me to difficult missions."

Romani's jaw dropped. "A DIVINE SPIRIT?! THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE—HOW?!"

Before Takato could even introduce himself, a small red blur crashed into him.

"TAKATOMON!!!"

Takato stumbled backward, eyes wide. "Wha—?"

Looking down, he saw a tiny red Digimon with large, shining golden eyes. "… Gigimon?!"

The little Digimon grinned, bouncing in excitement. "I was eating meat at Palmon's farm, waiting for you to take me home—then a pretty ring of light appeared! I got sleepy… and when I woke up—boom! I found you!"

Takato trembled, clutching Gigimon in his arms as tears welled in his eyes. "…I missed you, buddy."

Gigimon giggled, licking Takato's cheek. "It's okay! We're together again!"

Bazett, standing nearby, raised an eyebrow. "…Did he forget about me?"

Meanwhile, Fou puffed up on Takato's shoulder, looking jealous at the attention Gigimon was receiving.

Bazett cleared her throat loudly. "Ahem."

Takato snapped out of it, quickly wiping his tears. "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to be rude. I hope we can work well together, Bazett!"

She nodded, crossing her arms. "Likewise, Master."

Meanwhile, Romani—who had watched everything unfold—finally lost it, "WHAT?! WHO?! HOW?!"

Takato chuckled nervously, "Uh… surprise?"

.

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And here is chapter 2, hope you guys liked it.