Slayer Chronicles, At Chaldea's Gate EP2:The great Dumpling Hunt and Hallows eve.
Meet The Engineer.
For the past couple of weeks, Chaldea's resident Slayer has been working on a project that should help protect Ritsuka and Gudao during future battles. The process is taking longer than expected due to the technological limitations of the current era. Even with VEGA and Da-vinci's help, it's probably not going to be fully functional by the next singularity.
After sending another batch of adjustments to the designs, Doomguy decides to go get another set of comics from a Chaldea Engineer, one of the few staff members that weren't afraid of him. He walks down to the lower levels of the facility where most of the utility workings of the base were accessible. Just a few doors down from the stairway and he was at the main engineering department of Chaldea. Where all guts of Chaldea are maintained so everything runs smoothly throughout the facility.
Doomguy knocks on the automatic door and it immediately opens up revealing a single man doing work that should've been done by a whole crew. Unfortunately, this department was one of the major bombed areas during the first attack.
"Oh, howdy there. 'Expected you to drop by and grab your next round of comics." He said while working on a terminal. He was wearing a Chaldea staff jumpsuit and hardhat along with a pair of protective goggles.
"VEGA can you get me a power readout on couplings 210 to 230? I want to make sure those repairs are holding." The engineer said as he sipped his coffee.
"All readings nominal, Mr. Conagher." VEGA answered as the man looked stratified with his work.
"How many times do I have to tell you to call me Dell? ' ' is too formal for my taste." The man corrected VEGA as he walked over to a nearby storage container revealing stacks of comic books of varying publications.
"You know the drill, take what you want and put back with what you are done with." Dell said as Doomguy returned the comics he was done reading and grabbed the next issue of the current stories he was reading. The engineering department was informally known as the one-stop-shop for some geeky entertainment. Lucky for Dell most of the stuff that was shared around was still intact...Unlike the rest of his crew…
Doomguy looked over at the man and he could see the small look of survivor's guilt was readable as the man took a small break.
"Well, we should be back to full speed down here now that most of the repairs are done and VEGA is picking up the slack. I might be able to finally relax…" Dell said, taking a sip of coffee.
"Wish I could say the same for those kids…" He said, shaking his head at the thought that the fate of humanity was in the hands of a bunch of youngsters. He can't imagine the weight the world must feel on their shoulders.
"But I guess that's why you are here. Solving our problems with practical solutions." He said as he returned to work while Doomguy walked out of the room. The engineer was one of the few human staff members that weren't afraid of him and he formed a simple acquaintanceship during his time here. At least reading comics helped him kill time when he had nothing else to do between missions.
Priority Mission: Dumplings?
"AH! There you are! Where were you?" Ritsuka yelled down the hall with much urgency in her voice. Doomguy gestured to the bundle of comics in his hands as Ritsuka stomped towards him.
"Comics can wait, we got a situation! Control room! Now!" She said Doomguy was confused as he thought the next mission was still a few weeks away? Also, he has never seen the girl so riled up for a mission. She grabbed his arm and tried to pull him like a kid trying to drag their parents to the toy aisle.
"Come on! Let's go!" Ritsuka said and Doomguy let her drag him before she hurt herself.
"She isn't wrong. We DO have a situation, It will be best to go with her." VEGA said. Doomguy looks at her, she is so riled up over this that he gives in and follows her to the control room. To find Romani, Da-vinci, Mashu, and Gudao already in there and discussing the current situation.
"Ritsuka, did you really need to bring Doomguy here? Any other servant-"
"YES" Ritsuka interrupted Romani which only fueled The Slayer's curiosity. Romani shook his head and looked at the servant and seemed eager to see what was going on.
"Our food storage was raided…VEGA tried to get security footage but anyone who watched it apparently fell unconscious." Romani explained and Doomguy thought over the situation. A food shortage was a real issue as he just went on a hunting party with Tamamo Cat to restock on supplies.
"I am afraid I cannot view the footage myself, that's why I asked the staff for assistance. I however detected an unauthorized rayshift to the decaying France Singularity." VEGA said.
"VEGA, couldn't you have stopped that unauthorized use?" Gudao asked.
"I lack the physical hardware to interface with the rayshift systems. It is one of my limitations due to my current installation in the Praetor suit. I also don't know if Chaldea's hardware can handle my runtimes." VEGA expressed his limitations.
"It makes me more curious about your tech Mr Slayer." Davinci said distracted from the current situation.
"Oi! Tech talk later! We are forgetting the most important thing! They. Took. All. Of The. Dumplings!" Ritsuka said, getting impatient and a bloodthirsty look in her eyes. Doomguy looked to Mashu for some explanation on why in the hell dumplings got her riled up.
"Foouuuu…." Fou barked, worried about Ritsuka's antics.
"Ritsuka-Senpai has been looking forward to the Moon festival, which will be serving a variety of Dumplings." Mashu explained and Doomguy shook his head at how ridiculous Ritsuka was being. Dumplings? Over the whole food shortage, she seemed way too focused on the Dumplings.
"So, who could be the culprit? I can't be from the outside world because of our current situation." Gudao pondered.
"It's most likely a servant, even with a contract they can still do evil deeds. We are probably dealing with someone with enough power to bend the rules a bit with a contract." Davinci said.
"It is highly probable that we can rule out Hell as its forces would just outright attack us instead of stealing our resources. France is currently sealed off from hell due to the singularity decay." VEGA stated and that relieved Doomguy as he was so busy working on his project these days he was slacking on his patrols.
"As a servant, I propose we take measures quickly. We are nearly out of food." Mashu said and Romani agreed, giving the green light on this mission.
"Ritsuka, Gudao. For the sake of Chaldea's future, and our fun moon festival, would you go check out the situation for us?" Romani asked with his authority as acting Director.
"Of course-"
"YES!" Ritsuka spoke over Gudao and the staff started to get ready for the rayshift.
Well, it looked like a small mini-adventure was in order, no Holy Grail to grab and the Demons can't invade. Doomguy felt confident enough that Ritsuka could take on one of the other servants with her for this quest as he needed to focus on his project. Nero, Lily, Cu chulainn and Emiya...Yeah they can handle this Op in his place
"Oi! Where are you going?" Ritsuka said, stopping him in his tracks.
"I believe he thinks you can take one of your other contracted servants for this mission. I have already prepared a list of available servants for you to choose-"
"Doomguy is coming with us." Ritsuka interrupted the AI and Doomguy Shook his head. She can pick another servant, he has work to do for the next singularity. Ritsuka walks up to him and looks directly into his visor with a pouty look on her face. She wasn't budging, neither was Doomguy and he attempted to walk out again. He stopped by Ritsuka grabbing his arm, he was about to gently pull away but he saw the look in her eyes.
"Please…" She said quietly and looked at him with a slightly scared look in her eyes. Noticing her distress places a hand on her shoulder and nods. She reads this as a yes and smiles again.
"Thanks! Now let's go get our Dumplings back!" Ritsuka said running off to get ready. Against his better judgment, he agreed to go with her on this Op, risking valuable time but he didn't want to get her upset. He pokes his head out into the hall and notices Saber Lily walking by. Doomguy waves her down and she walks up to him.
"Hello . Is there something you need?" She said cheerfully. He gestures to the control room and Lily tries to read him, however, VEGA had to step in to translate.
"He is asking if you would join us on a small mission to retrieve stolen resources."
"Oh! I loved to! It will be a great time to train!" She said excitedly. Good, Doomguy was getting dragged along so he felt justified to bring someone along.
One Crazy Adventure...
"This is-the France we are familiar with, right?" Mashu said looking around, it was the dead of night but very peaceful. Until the sound of arrows flying cut through the quiet night is.
"Over there!" Lily said, ready for this adventure. All the girls rush to the source of the noise leaving Doomguy and Gudao in the dust.
"I guess Mashu and Lily are as riled up huh?" Gudao said, raising an eyebrow.
"Fou." Fou barked while sitting on Doomguy's shoulder.
The guys catch up and find the girls chatting to a woman who they assisted in killing a group of Werebeasts.
"Combat, Complete." Mashu stated.
"Yes, but we should stay on our toes for now. Oh and sorry for leaving you guys back there. I was a little too excited but I made sure Ritsuka was safe!" Lily said sheepishly." Lily apologized to Gudao and Doomguy.
"VEGA? Can you connect to Chaldea?" Mashu asked the AI.
"Negative. We are having some interference. I will notify you when comms have been established." VEGA said while piloting his drone. Now the attention turned to this white blonde woman in the white dress that the girls helped.
"Um..excuse me. You're not a normal human, are you? Are you...a servant?" Mashu asked.
"Hmmm? Am I a servant? Oh, you mean a Heroic Spirit! I know all about them! Indeed I am a servant! The splendid hunter has forever seen in the night sky. My name is Orion! That's me! Round of applause, please!" The woman introduced himself as the Greek god Orion. It added a little confusion amongst the group, however, they seemed to start getting used to it after King Arthur and Nero both being female. Mashu explained their current mission to retrieve stolen supplies and Orion quickly asked if she could help. The master agreed as she seemed and introduced them to her.
"...and this is Saber Lily, Doomguy, and VEGA." Ritsuka said.
"Nice to meet you Ms Orion." Lily bowed as Orion focused on Soldiers and AI…
"Hmm…" Orion ponders as she floats around Doomguy, Searching him head to toe as if she was looking for something on him.
"Is there something wrong, Orion?" VEGA asked.
"Oh it's nothing! Let's get going! This should be fun!" She said and the adventure started.
"She seems a little...Strange for a divine entity." VEGA said and Doomguy nodded.
Throughout their quest, it turns out whoever stole the supplies was giving them to groups of servants that manifested in the local area. Each encounter resulted in a fight for the supplies. Some were nothing more than a sparring match which was perfect for Lily.
"I got this! Hiya!" Lily said successfully, disarming Chevalier d'Eon and Sanson while Mashu Shattered the Glass horse of Marie Antoinette.
Others were...more aggressive.
"ARRRGH! I will not lose because of those two idiots!" Martha said as she got into a fistfight with Doomguy as Lily and the others watched in awe.
"Should we do something?" Mashu asked.
"I'm not sure…" Gudao asked as Doomguy and Martha fought like it's a wrestling match.
"I'm thinking that it's best to let them be. It looks like Doomguy is winning Regardless" Orion said while watching the match.
"To be honest. It's kinda scary how hot-headed Martha can get…" Gudao whispered to Mashu who nodded in agreement. Lily and Ritsuka were silently watching while enjoying a dumpling.
Eventually, they were able to find all the food hoarders and retrieve the stolen goods. However, the question remained on WHO attacked the food supply in the first place? Well the woman that assisted them was the culprit all along! Ms Orion got summoned to Chaldea because of the offerings to the moon goddess sourced from the Moon festival. Long story short: She was the Moon Goddess Artemis and was attracted to the Dumplings due to them resembling offerings.
Doomguy facepalmed at the Goddess's antics and wonder if the gods of this world were as wacky as her The only other examples of gods were the Roman god Romulus and Gilgamesh, the former wasn't too bad after being summoned to Chaldea. The latter, Doomguy doesn't like that guy due to his holier-than-thou attitude towards the other servants. Well, except for Lily who he constantly tries to sway to his side but Artoria and her Alter stop him at every attempt.
Artemis apologized profusely for causing so much trouble before agreeing to become a servant to assist Chaldea when the time comes.
After that whole fiasco, Chaldea was able to celebrate its Moon Festival without any more disturbances or shortages of food. Doomguy quickly went back to work after and let the masters enjoy the festivities. He was working on making the celestial power cores compatible with Chaldea tech. Da-Vinci was with the others leaving him alone in the workshop with various mystic codes and Project Ortenaus out of its crate. It was the closest thing they had compared to his Praetor suit and according to the documents, it was a backup plan if Mashu didn't merge with a servant. That left many unpleasant questions but that would have to be asked at a later time. As he worked on the power distribution systems, Lily entered the room with a plate of dumplings in her hands.
"Mr. Doomguy?" Lily said, poking her head into the room. The slayer pauses to acknowledge the young knight.
"S-sorry to interrupt, but I came with a plate of dumplings if you were hungry…" Lily entered the room and saw the mess of cables and tools strut about.
"I know we servants don't need to eat but…" Lily looked a bit sheepish, however, Doomguy cleared a spot on the worktable for the plate without saying a word. Lily smiled and walked over, careful not to knock anything over as she placed the dumplings on the table.
"Enjoy. I didn't know what you would like so I grabbed a variety before...the other 'Me's' finished them." Lily said and turned around to leave not wanting to take away anymore of his time.
"Oh and Thank you for inviting me to that mission. It was a great training experience and was fun!" She said as she left the room leaving the man to his work. Before Doomguy started his work he took off the mouthguard of his helmet and took a bite of a dumpling.
"Damn...This is good...What's with the food here?"
...After Another.
As summer ended, it was time for fall according to Chaldea's calenders. The time to start the next mission was fast approaching with only a few more weeks to lock in. Doomguy was working on his project with Davinci, they made huge progress in being able to get power from the Celestial energy Cores.
"Ahhh! YES! Finally, we got the power running through the circuits and they didn't explode! Perfect!" Davinci sighed with relief as she pulled many all-nighters in a row to get this to work. When Doomguy first approached her with the idea Da-Vinci was surprised, she'd never thought a berserker would be an engineer. After showing her the designs she questioned how he would power the units and that's when he should hear the Celestial power cores. The artist was gobsmacked at the sight of them and nearly fainted after VEGA explained how much juice they can produce.
"You could power a small city for nearly a century before even making a dent in the output"
Those were her worlds and expressed that she would like to help but her work decrypting the information from the Holy Grails took up most of her time. VEGA quickly offered that he can take over that process in exchange that she used her free time to work on this project.
The central idea for all this work was to create something that would effectively protect the masters and get them away from trouble if need be. The best solution was an exo-suit that focused on Shield Generation and Agility along with powering several instaledl mystic code abilities. All powered by a celestial energy core which would provide near unlimited power to the whole system. This should provide both Ritsuka and Gudao with a significant amount of protection and speed to get them out of most situations.
"Slayer, we have another...situation. Please report to the Control room." VEGA called over comms. Doomguy pauses his work to go check it out, before he leaves he looks at Davinci.
"Don't worry. I'll get to work on the sub-systems. Have fun!" Da-Vinci winked and Doomguy left to see what was going on. He decides to drop trying to have another servant go in his place for small missions as it seems to cause his master distress. The last thing he wants is to upset her because he's not used to working around an emotional person like her.
A child no less...
He can only protect her from physical threats, he can't imagine what is going through the poor girl's head these days.
"Fou!" Fou barked as the servant opened the door.
"Hey Doomguy!" Ritsuka said as he entered the room. Romani, Gudao, and Mashu were there as well.
"Ah Doomguy, Sorry to disturb you but we got a little mystery on our hands." Romani said.
"Yeah, We found this letter in both our rooms." Ritsuka said, handing him her copy of the letter.
It reads:
Dear Ritsuka and Gudao,
I am writing to inform you of a splendid Halloween party that is to take place. My little castle Csejte is now completely remodeled! You'll be swallowed up in classic and dragonic decor* I hereby humbly invite you to a dream-kike night of elegance and wonder. At the party, you will find splendid pumpkin cuisine from the four corners of the globe, as well as a splendid serenade from an adorable idol. A sweet serenade from a young girl will set your heart on fire, and a serenade sung by an unparalleled diva. It all awaits you. Indeed, it will be a grand ball that could set any soul alight. It will surely sink into your heart and savor it as well. Both your mind and body will have a relaxing experience! Won't you come and bask in the spectacular sensation of being in a mired nightmare? The theme is, "Sweet Blood Marchen Torture". I eagerly await your attendance.
-Be sure to come, Okay?
Doomguy puts down the letter and can already guess who this mysterious person hosting this party is. Elisabeth Bathory, Chaldea's local wannabe Idol that her music causes loads of auditory damage to oneself. Now, what is she up to now?
"I predict this is an attempt to give the masters a private concert, using Halloween as her excuse to spring this upon them." VEGA said while both Master's discussed with Mashu what to do.
"Should we go? If she put in all the effort into it...I'd kinda feel bad for not going." Ritsuka said.
"What about you Mashu?" Gudao asked his servant.
"I've...Never experienced this kind of event before, So I am interested, I suppose." Mashu said showing an interest.
"Fou, Fouuuu!" Fou added his words of wisdom.
"Then I guess we should Party then!" Gudao said willing to at least be nice to Elisabeth and see the effort she put into preparing this event.
"Alright then, with the residual spiritrons from the letter, I can lock into where she is and rayshift you guys there." Romani looked over at Doomguy, curious if he was joining as well. Doomguy looked over to his red-headed master and she hit him with Puppy dog eyes…
Doomguy sighs and nods back to her, causing the young Master to jump for joy as they get ready for another small adventure…First collecting lost Dumplings and now heading to a Halloween party hosted by a bloody demoness.
these side adventures just keep getting weird as time goes on…
He hoped at least there would be something to shoot at along the way...
"Well I'll go get things ready then, I hope this is worth it in the end for you guys!" Romani said with a slight tinge of pity for the group as they are shifted to the target location of the party.
Adventure to the Singing Pumpkin Castle!
The group found themselves in a dark forest that appeared to radiate the feeling of Halloween rather than fear. Jack-o-lanterns dotted the area giving a soft orange ambient light as small ghosts floated through the woods.
"We arrived. Time period unknown." VEGA reported.
"The location appears to be somewhere in Europe. That said...it feels both frightening and yet fun somehow. How odd." Mashu said.
"That's your typical Halloween spirit, Mashu. Finding the right balance of Spookiness and fun is key to a great Halloween." Gudao responds to Mashu's first experience with the holiday.
"Don't forget the ridiculous amounts of candy consumed around this time of year." Romani said over comms.
"Umm...Where's Doomguy?" Ritsuka said, noticing the missing servant.
"He's about six-" VEGA's words were interrupted by the ground splitting open rapidly and causing the two Master's and Mashu to scream in fear as something was digging itself out of the ground. The shield servant was about to get ready for combat, but VEGA quickly got in between her and the dirt-covered figure.
"I would recommend not attacking allies at this time." VEGA stated as it was revealed to be Doomguy that just rose from the ground like an undead monster.
"W-what was he doing on the ground?!" Mashu said, putting away her shield as Doomguy dusted off the dirt on his armor.
"Unknown. I have triple-checked our entry coordinates to avoid any chance of...Dislocation of our entry point." Even VEGA was surprised at how Doomguy ended up six feet underground instead of with the group.
"Fou!" The little animal barked as it would appear that The Slayer's entry point wasn't the only thing that was off…
"Umm...Doomguy-san. Your armor is different." Mashu said, getting a confused look from the Doomguy who checked his gear and realised what she meant. His armor was now painted black with neon blue skeletal markings on it…
"He looks like a Skeleton!" Ritsuka pointed out as Doomguy inspected his armor for any other changes.
"Okay now I am saying this is weird. And I am the Acting Director of Chaldea." Romani is stumped at what is going on. This wasn't a singularity so there can't be anything interfering with the people on the ground.
"Is this normal VEGA?" Gudao asked.
"Negative. He isn't one to paint his armor or guns in such a... Festive manner…" VEGA answered as Doomguy's face palmed at the idea of something messing with his equipment just to change how it looks. Now he just wanted to get moving before anything else ridiculous shows up.
"I am detecting hostile enemy signatures around the local area, but they appear to be weak. This should be a breeze for you guys." Romani said getting the group focused back on finding Elisabeth.
"Right, this was totally unexpected, so it's sure to be interesting! Now let's go! All that glitters isn't gold, but when in Rome, do as the Romans do! " Mashu said with great enthusiasm which seemed to match Gudao and Ritsuka's moods. Only for them to be interrupted by a bunch of Halloween-themed ghosts to come out of the woodwork. Doomguy pumped his shotgun with enthusiasm as he at least got to shoot something during this adventure.
"I guess everyone finds their own fun on Halloween." Ritsuka said.
Get Out Of Here, Stalker...
After blasting and bashing some more Halloween-themed undead, the group agreed to head for the suspicious-looking castle in the distance. Gudao pointed out how Mashu was really in high spirits ever since they landed here.
"...I wasn't hoping it would be like going to a real theme park or anything, um, definitely not!" Mashu said, hiding her embarrassed face from her master.
'Note to self: Set those two up with an amusement park date ASAP.' Ritsuka plotted in her head while rubbing her hands together mischievously.
"Is something up, Ritsuka-Senpai?" Mashu asked, noticing the strange look on her face.
"Nope! Nothing at all!" She said with a smug smile while winking at Gudao whose face turned red with realization. The girl has been teasing Gudao about his feelings towards Mashu now and then.
"She is just being silly, Mashu, Let's go." Gudao said, walking towards the exit of the forest. Doomguy raised an eyebrow at his master's antics but at least she appeared to be having fun so there's that. The group moves through the forest with minimum resistance from the local Halloween-themed undead.
Unknown to them is that they were being followed by an all too familiar person...
The group eventually reach a local town that was covered in Halloween decor that one would think that the holiday was birthed here. The three youngsters' eyes widened at the sights and wonderfully crafted decorations and people walking around enjoying themselves.
"Wow! This is amazing!" Ritsuka said, taking in the sights along with the others.
"Fou! Fouuuuu!" Even the little guy seemed to be enjoying himself looking at the decorations.
"I have to admit these decorations are impressive. I am still trying to figure out where she got the resources to make this event possible." VEGA said observing the area.
"Hmmm. That is a good question VEGA, maybe the little miss herself will explain. Anyways, I am not detecting any enemies near you. Looks like you should be able to relax a bit." Romani said as the two masters' stomachs let out a growl due to the smell of freshly made Pumpkin Pie.
"I recommend you three should take a rest and get something to eat." VEGA suggested.
"I second that! It would be nice to have some Pumpkin Pie..." Gudao said as VEGA opened up his storage unit and extracted three prepared lunch boxes provided by servant Emiya."
"Good Thinking, Senpai! As being chosen by Weekly Halloween Magazine to receive the title 'This Autumn's Number One Master,' Perhaps?" Mashu said cheerfully, causing Gudao to blush while Ritsuka gave him a smug look once more.
PING!
"EEEEEEEK!" A girl jumps out of the shadows at the sound of Doomguy pulling the receiver on his Heavy Cannon back and letting go. The girl was none other than the stalker dragon servant: Kiyohime.
"D-do you h-have to do that every time!?" The teal-haired girl complained as she pulled herself off the ground and dusted herself off. For reference, there have been many instances of Kiyohime stalking both Gudao and Ritsuka at Chaldea. It started with simply watching them from afar but recently the girl has been busted several times sneaking into both Master's private rooms. Usually resulting in Doomguy coming in to remove her or scaring her off with a ping from his gun. It pretty much became one of his new duties at Chaldea due to him not being scared of Kiyohime and himself being very resistant to fire. The situation normally resulted in Kiyohime being carried out over his shoulder while squirming and whining like an unruly child.
"Ahem, I mean...Hello masters would you mind if I joined you?" Kiyohime asked the three while not making eye contact with the fellow Berserker.
"Sure, we don't mind." Ritsuka said and Kiyohime looked at the Doomguy with a snickering grin. She quickly joined them for lunch much to The Slayer's dislike but as long as she behaved.
"So, Why are you here Kiyohime?" Ritsuka asked as they snacked on lunch.
"Oh my, I would've thought one's wife would naturally always be at one's side. I went through the trouble of hiding in a box tied with a bow, but my silly husband and wife are just so indifferent. Then you both go accepting such a shady invitation. As your loving wife, I couldn't sit by and do nothing" Kiyohime explained her delusional reasoning for joining them to find Elisabeth. Both Master's shiver at her words as they drink their tea.
"How odd. Somehow, it feels as though the words I am here and the actual written words are fatally irreconcilable." Mashu said quietly to Fou.
"Fouuu." Even the little guy is put off by this servant's stalkerish nature.
"And that, basically, is why I've come here. Fear not, I shall guard you flawlessly. Yes, 24 hours a day, from head to-"
PING
"EEK!" Kiyohime's ramblings were stopped by Doomguy to remind her that he was also watching and protecting them.
"I mean...Along with my current company of course." She said while glaring at Doomguy who didn't falter at her murderous gaze.
"Well, I'm overwhelmed with anxiety for your future, but at least we have Doomguy keeping things in check." Romani said, scratching the back of his head.
"For once, I'm actually in agreement with you, Doctor…" Mashu said right before a monstrous screech was heard from the outer walls of the village. Knowing trouble was afoot, everyone ran to the sound of the screeching. It was a small horde of skeletons with pumpkin heads and pitchforks.
"How rude of the cretens to interrupt our honeymoon! I shall burn them all!" Kiyohime said, igniting her fan in blue flames. Only for it to be put out but the sheer speed of Doomguy running forward with his Full-auto shotgun blasting away.
"H-Hey! No fair! Leave me some to burn to show my love!" Kiyohime sped after the space marine leaving Mashu, Ritsuka and Gudao in the dust.
"Should I go help them, Senpai?" Mashu said sheepishly.
"...I think you can sit this one out…" Gudao regretted letting Kiyohime join them.
"Agreed." Ritsuka said watching the two Berserkers go to work on the weak skeletons. Doomguy was rattling them to bits with buckshot to their pumpkin heads and shattering them with frag grenades. All while Kiyohime was incinerating another group with her passionate flames. Once the horde was dealt with the two servants returned to with a pouting Kiyohime.
"Master Ristukaaaaaa! That big oaf barely left any of those cretins for me to burn!" Kiyohime whined while getting right in Ritsuka's face.
"That's a problem, how? You two were working together I thought?" Ritsuka said, looking between the two servants.
"As if! I wanted to burn them all to show my love! He's getting in the way of our-Ouchie!" The little dragon servant was lightly bonked on the head by Doomguy who had enough of her and wanted to move on.
"Big meanie…" She sniffled as she tended to the bump on her head.
A Grail Powered Halloween?!
Eventually, they finally reached the huge castle that loomed over the village and a servant was detected near it.
"Servant detected. They are most likely guarding the gates." VEGA said.
"Yes. Make sure you two stay behind him, my husband and wife." Kiyohime said.
"Um, did you call them your husband and wife?" Mashu said very disturbed.
"I did. Why?" Kiyohime answered as if there was nothing wrong.
"Kiyohime." VEGA said getting the servant's attention and then she noticed Doomguy standing behind her with his arms crossed.
"I-I meant Master! Of course!" She said, correcting herself. The group approached the gates and found a woman in revealing attire that was colored to match the setting sun over a beach. Her grey-blue eyes welcomed them with calm and kindness.
"It's a lovely night, isn't it everyone? A young, sweet night. You look so full of energy." The woman said with no hint of malice in her voice. Kiyohime was about to say something but Doomguy stepped forward as he recognized the woman from Chaldea.
"Ah! I wasn't expecting you to tag along with them, Doomguy. I guess little Ritsuka must've asked you to join them?" The woman was a servant of Chaldea, Mata Hari, Assassin Class. She was great with infiltration and gathering information from the locals, particularly from men.
Doomguy didn't mind her as she was very kind to the master's and, somehow, knew how to read Doomguy's silence. Kiyohime was steaming in the back because of how revealing Mata's clothes were but held her tongue as she didn't want to get into more trouble with Doomguy.
"Well, there's no issue with that. The more the merrier, and I can understand wanting to make sure nothing strange happens while the kids have a good time." Mata Hari said while getting a nod of confirmation from Doomguy.
"She really knows how to read Doomguy-san. Even though I struggle and need VEGA to translate." Mashu whispers to Gudao.
"No kidding." Gudao said.
"Alright then! You all may enter and enjoy the festivities! Delux to your heart's content!" Mata Hari then proceeded to let the guests in without any issue.
"Maybe I'll share a drink with you at the party perhaps?" Mata Hari offered and Doomguy didn't seem to be against it but followed the rest of the group into the Castle.
"Oh darn it, I really thought I had him pinned down there. His resistance to charms is building up so fast. Oh well, I'd bet he'd be more into a warrior type of woman." Mata Hari pondered to herself as VEGA suggested that she and Marie Antoinette try and use their charm abilities on him to see how he defends against it.
As they walked about the Halloween-decorated castle they ran into Carmilla...Dusting the place like a maid. Grumbling about her younger self owning the castle and being forced into her assigned role. Once the vampire noticed she was spotted Camilla got even angrier and was about to fight the group to let off steam but then realized that Doomguy was there…
"I see you brought your loyal Berserker, Ritsuka…" Carmilla seemed to change her tune the moment she realized that Doomguy was with them.
"Hey! I'm their loyal berserker! And don't get me started on your cleaning abilities! I can do way better than you! I am A + + + rank at cleaning!" Kiyohime ranted while she was ignored.
"So how did you end up like this Carmilla?" VEGA asked.
"It's because my bratty younger self has a Grail! Of all people to have a Grail it's her!" Carmilla explained with frustration.
"The Grail? You mean THE Grail?" Mashu said as now things got serious for this adventure. A Holy Grail in the wrong hands could cause another singularity or worse...Create another entry point for the demons.
"What idiot put that in a castle?!" Ritsuka said with a facepalm.
"Believe it or not, it's the reason why I am in this position. It would be wise for someone of your caliber to retrieve it before something goes wrong." Carmilla set with sudden enthusiasm as she knew that The Slayer would put a stop to this. With that news, Doomguy wanted to get that Grail faster before the Demons things go to shit.
"I won't hold you any longer, Please go." Camilla gets out of the way and lets them pass.
"Ahh...I think I'll take a-"
BONK!
"Owwwww!"
"Get back to work! Just because we are going to stop lizard-breath doesn't mean you get to slack off from cleaning!" Kiyohime said after hitting Carmilla on the head.
"Whhhhhhhhyyyyy meeeeee!" Carmilla wined.
It didn't take long before running into Vlad who seemed ready for a fight regardless of what happened back in Orleans. Doomguy cracked his knuckles, ready for round two.
"My stakes have found their place in history. And now you shall feel their wra-"
"WAAAAAAIITT" The fight nearly started before for owner of the Castle herself came running in and nearly tripped over from how fast she was running. After taking a moment to catch her breath she gets a look at the group.
"Okay! No fighting them! Uncle!" Elisabeth ordered.
"But wasn't this part of the plan Elisabeth?" Vlad said, confused.
"That WAS the plan only if Chief wasn't around. Didn't I tell you what happened in Orleans?" She said and Vlad got the idea as he lowered his weapon.
"I see. Very well. I shall let the hostess of the evening take over from here." Vlad then shifted into spirit form and presumably left the room. Elisabeth looked back at the group with embarrassment in her very Halloween-themed attire.
"So, I guess I have a lot of explaining to do…" Elisabeth said, looking very guilty herself. She then approached Doomguy and took a very pretty hat off with a very sorry look in her eyes.
"Here, it's the Grail fragment I found. It let me make all of this for the Masters to enjoy. I got carried away, but I realized that when I saw you enter the castle." She takes a crystal-like object out of her hat and hands it over to Doomguy. She didn't want Doomguy to be mad at her for risking so much just to host a Halloween party
"Scanning...Confirmed. It appears to be a fragment made out of the same magical energy that of a Holy grail." VEGA stated while Elisabeth looked very sad at she felt like she was in big trouble.
"Elisabeth…" Mashu said feeling pity for the young girl.
"Her expression is Genuine. As crazy as it sounds she is sorry." Kiyohime added with her "Expert" level of lie detection. Doomguy took the crystal and put it away in his inventory like any other grail. He then nods over to Ritsuka, who got the idea of what he was saying.
"Well we got that fragment. Is the party still on?" Ritsuka asked and Elisabeth perked up surprised.
"W-wait you guys still want to go?!" She said as her dragon tail started wagging.
"Doomguy just gave the go-ahead so it's up to you." Ritsuka said and Elisabeth looked back at Doomguy who gave a thumbs up.
"T-thank you! Come on everyone! I had Tamamo Cat make a great feast for you all! As a thank you I'll see an extra special song for you all!" Elisabeth said with her energy reinvigorated.
Happy Halloween!
The Masters and Mashu winced at the idea of her singing but hoped that it wouldn't turn out too bad as Elisabeth led them to the dining hall. Once everyone entered it was time to party in celebration of Halloween! Gudao and Mashu were chatting as they enjoyed some treats while Ritsuka herself was hanging with Tamamo Cat.
"Good thing Doomguy was around. Too much food would be wasted if there was fighting. I worked my tail off for this thing. Woof!" Tamamo Cat said while serving Ritsuka some cookies.
"I am glad too, I hate fighting friends." Ritsuka said and Tamamo Cat hugged her.
"Dawwww! Thank you Mastah!" She said,
Elisabeth and Kiyohime were butting heads but kept it at a reasonable level to not incur the wrath of Doomguy who was watching them from a distance...This was their party. He was just there to make sure they were safe. As he observed his armour reverted to its original colour and design…
"Odd. Perhaps the Holy Grail fragment caused the…'Re-design'" VEGA observed while The Slayer rolled his eyes. He decided that this world had too much magical bullshit to keep track of and would rather focus on the task at hand.
At least he didn't get turned into a pink unicorn or something…
"Regardless, it's an immense magical resource we can use to our advantage. It seems that it doesn't retain information on where our enemies are so perhaps we can find a practical use for its power." VEGA scanned the fragment and continued analysis as the party continued.
"Ahh I see everyone is enjoying themselves." Mata Hari said, walking up to him with two drinks in hand. Doomguy looks at her then drinks wondering if this was another attempt at charming him.
"No, I am not trying to charm you silly. Come have a drink, I think Ritsuka would like it seeing you take part in the festivities a little bit." The assassin class servant said with a smile. Doomguy looked over at his master as she seemed to be having a good time. He sighs and takes the beverage, adjusting his helmet so he can drink. Mata Hari smiles at her small victory and stands beside him as they both watch the party.
"You know, It brings me relief that a man like you is watching over Ritsuka and the others. Times like these children could use a father figure when they can't see their actual parents." She said as she sipped her beverage. Doomguy looked down at his drink, as the words "Father" seemed to call something deep within his heart, but he didn't understand why...It felt like he forgot something…
Something Important...
(This Chapter Was Beta'd by Darklord331)
AN: Another Light hearted Chapter covering some of the first few events in FGO! As you can tell I sped through the moon-goddess event since...I don't really like the story of it. Halloween though, I enjoyed it as its wackiness brought me back to the old Scream-Fortress Events of TF2. Speaking of which...yeah I made the Engineer from TF2 a cameo character. I just like the idea of throwing in some FPS references during this story for those that enjoy them.
SO, For future events...Yeah Some of them will 'affect' Doomguy's armour to match some of the skins you can unlock from the Series pass of Doom Eternal. (I pretty much own all of them at this point). In other words...Doomguy Santa is Confirmed! Along with one or two more silly skins.
I hope you enjoyed this episode of At Chaldea's Gate! The next one will involve Christmas! I haven't forgotten Nero Fest BTW I want to wait until more servants are in Chaldea. I got some good ideas for that one...
Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this and...As always, Have a nice day!
Next up: A pirates life in Okeanos!