At Chaldea's Gate ep 3
GUDA GUDA: The first wave.
Doomguy has fought a lot of strange opponents during his life of demon-slaying. From the imps to the toothy meatballs known as Cacodemons, nothing has prepared him for what he would be facing today.
It all started when an intruder alert rang out at the base causing him to of course bolt to where the threat was. What he ended up seeing was…
Something that weirded HIM out…
It was some form of a small humanoid creature with a black ancient Japanese officer uniform and a red cape. It looked female with its long black hair and squeaky-sounding voice.
"Nobu! Nobu!" it said as it shot at him with its cartoon-looking rifle. Of course, the bullets just turn to dust against his defences.
"NOBWAAA?!" It screamed as it ran away from him.
Ok, this world has gotten weird even for The Slayer.
He chased it only to find there were more of them and they were causing damage to the hallways and were chasing VEGA around.
"Slayer, Some assistance please!" VEGA said as he zapped one of the creatures.
Whatever these things were, they were now considered vermin!
Doomguy revved his chainsaw as they all charged at him with pointless hope in their numbers. He cleaves through without any bloodshed as they all poofed into sparkly dust once they took enough damage.
"These creatures are a strange phenomena. I suggest we head for the control room." VEGA suggested as Doomguy go to work with his chainsaw.
At least there won't be much clean-up when he is done…
Meanwhile Mashu, Gudao and Ritsuka were nearby fighting a few of the intruding creatures. The Shielder servant easily dispatched the first one only for the others to start dancing around her and made a b-line for the masters. Thankfully two servants showed up to cut down the remaining creatures.
"Thanks for the assist!" Gudao said while Ritsuka nodded.
"No problem! We are here to-" The servant in pink paused at the sound of more of those creatures running towards them and three servants swiftly killed them easily.
"That was oddly easy." The pink-blonde servant commented
"Yeah it was as if they were running away from something." The red-cloaked servant said.
The Chaldea trio just looked at each other and nodded.
"Hey! Doomguy! Are you over there?" Ritsuka called out. Low and behold, The Doomslayer sticks his head around the corner and gives her a thumbs up.
"Figured as much. Get over here we have another situation!" She said and her servant walked over with his Chainsaw over his shoulder. He noticed two new faces among them. Both of them appeared to be ancient Japanese servants with one of them clad in pink with a samurai sword…With an oddly familiar face… The other one…Wait a moment…Why does she look like those creatures?
"Whoa! Whoa! Who is this guy?" Both women said in unison, Shocked to see such a man.
"Oh this is Doomguy, Ritsuka's servant." Gudao said as VEGA hovered over.
"Fou!" The fluffy boy barked and Doomguy let him hop onto his shoulder.
"...and this is VEGA, He's a familiar of his." Gudao introduced the AI as he scanned the two servants.
"Hmm. I don't want to sound rude, But I take it you both are related to our current infestation." VEGA asked.
"Non-taken. Yes we are here to deal with those creatures. Nice to meet you by the way, I am frome shinsen-Uh let's see…Just call me Sakura Saber." Sakura Saber introduced herself.
"I am the Demon king of the sixth heaven, Nobu-No, Demon, Right I'm Demon Archer!" The other woman introduced herself with a name that didn't please the Slayer too well. He steps forward and towers over her to get a better look at the so-called Demon Archer.
"Doomguy…" Ritsuka said as she stepped in front of him. Right, He has to give servants a chance regardless of who they are.
"Don't worry Slayer, if she is who I can predict she is. The Demon in their name is just a title and nothing more." VEGA confirmed as he detected zero Demonic traits from Demon Archer.
"ummm…I-is s-something w-wrong?" Demon Archer asked sheepishly from behind Sakura Saber.
"Doomguy-san's true title is The Doomslayer, A Demon hunter from another world. He may seem scary at first but he is really nice and only wants to protect us from real Demons." Mashu said as the Master's comm units started beeping, both answered and it was Romani.
"If I could interrupt, I figured out where those things spawned from! It's a different phase space that collided with Chaldea. We have to destroy the source of the problem." Romani said.
It's Nobu all the way down.
"I finished calculating the coordinates for the Rayshift. Go in there and get rid of them quick!" Da-Vinci added and all of them made haste to the control room with the two newcomers tagging along as well. Once there the objective was set to Rayshift into this strange phase space to stop the flow of the creatures. Romani then retreats to his bedroom due to staying up late sending messages to Magi-Mari till late last night. Leaving Da-vinci in charge of this operation after he briefed the ground team on the goal.
"...I don't know how he is even able to send messages due to us being cut off from the rest of the world." VEGA said as Romani left.
"It's probably best not to look into it," Da-Vinci added as everyone got ready for the Rayshift.
After another run-of-the-mill Rayshift everyone finds themselves in an open field, a very commonplace location for an entry point.
"Rayshift complete, But…Where are we?" Mashu said, looking around with Gudao.
"I cannot confirm where or when we are within this phase space." VEGA said.
"It seems the imperial holy grail lost control and created a separate dimension with this phase space." Demon Archer said while dusting off her hate, letting her dark hair flow in the wind.
It looks like another wayward grail was the source of this oddity of the situation. Before they could get more answers another horde of those creatures attacked.
It didn't take long for Doomguy to gun them down with his minigun. A weapon that looked marvellous to Demon Archer who helped out with her flintlock rifles.
"NobWAAA!" the last creature yelled, as they spent the afternoon fending them off.
"Wow, Doomguy is really strong. Where did he come from?" Sakura Saber asked.
"Oh, he just been fighting demons in hell for thousands of years and is still alive," Ritsuka said casually, causing Sakura Saber to widen her eye's in shock.
"Well, it looks like me and man-slayer ain't the only strangers around here. I have to say your skills in combat are amazing. Even though I would prefer to see him fighting against something else rather than a horde of mini-me's." Demon Archer commented before providing some more information from their end.
It was revealed that the duo came from another world during a Holy Grail war, however, the Grail was tampered with via unknown technology. Causing it to go out of control and during that time Demon Archer was involved. She said that it causes her subconscious to materialise thus corrupting reality. Their explanation also covers why those mini-monsters looked like Demon Archer, they are rouge fragments of her mind and power.
"Worst of all, it took away most of my strength. Originally I should be OP like Doomguy, but now I'm like a 0.5 star servant. In short, I got nerfed to a 1-level noob." Demon Archer said with a face of shame.
Doomguy found it odd hearing historical figures using modern-day gaming terminology but it did explain how she struggled against those creatures.
"Sorry that our Archer is causing you so much trouble" Sakura Saber apologised for her companions' mess.
"So why do those things only have one eye?" Ritsuka asked.
"I-it's only hidden by hair, yes? See, it's just like Mashu over there!" Demon archer Blurted out.
"Don't lump me in with that thing!" Mashu detested before receiving a calming head pat from her Senpai.
As they continued their mission across this phase of space, they started to run into servants who were brainwashed to be other historical figures related to imperial Japan. They are also gathering more of the creatures now called "Mini-Nobbu's" to do whatever The Imperial Grail wants.
…Another oddity was also shown by Sakura Saber being afflicted with a permanent illness that carried over into servant form. It causes her to become unable to act or become defenceless for a few moments. It was also pretty messy as the young samurai would start coughing up a very concerning amount of blood.
"Hmm…Interesting, Nero Claudius also suffers from an ailment that became a skill. Instead of coughing up blood it's severe migraines." VEGA commented while making note of the similar facial structure of both Sakura Saber and Nero. He started to make a list of servants sharing similar facial structures and strangely enough, most of them are of the Saber class.
Eventually, they crossed these strange lands and fought way too many brainwashed servants along with their armies of Mini-nobbu's. Ritsuka and Gudao were thankful that the brainwashing didn't force them to battle to the death. Much to the Master's relief as they were also trying to free their friends as well.
"W-we manage to defeat them..but it seems like the rider wasn't really that interested in the first place," Mashu commented while Doomguy agreed with a nod. The poor girl seemed the least brainwashed and just wanted to go home.
Back at Chaldea, Doomguy learned quickly how her sisters Stheno and Euryale ordered her around, demanding Rider to do whatever they requested. After learning that he started to let the youngest gorgon sister hide in his room whenever she needed some time to herself. Meanwhile, he'd go and "Say hi" to the two eldest sisters just to make sure they were gonna cause trouble…
"It seems like my famous cavalry-killing Three Line Formation didn't do that much to Rider?" Demon Archer said while feeling a little useless due to a weakened state and still full of guilt.
"Don't worry about it, Demon Archer, you are doing your best and we appreciate that!" Ritsuka said.
"Thanks, I promise to resolve this situation and get you guys to your own war." The rifle-wielding servant said.
"Say, what class are you Mashu? You haven't mentioned it since we met." Sakura Saber asked.
"You wouldn't see one in a normal Holy Grail War, but...I'm a Shielder, and we focus on defence." Mashu said happily.
"Don't let the shield fool you, I have seen her cave in many wyvern and Demon skulls with it. She kicks butt with the best of 'em." Gudao added which made Mashu smile more.
"A class focused on defence. That's unusual. But, that chest does look squishy enough to repel anything I throw at it." Demon Archer said so bluntly causing Mashu's face to blush and Gudao to facepalm.
"Huh, I guess she's into girls?" Ritsuka commented while scratching her head.
Lucky for the other bystanders, another enemy approached them thus ending that conversation.
Another few battles later and Sakura Saber's true name was revealed to be Okita Souji during a fit of vengeance and took on three brainwashed servants at once. She won but shortly collapsed after coughing an ungodly amount of blood.
Doomguy was impressed with her tenacity during that whole fight yet gave her pity that she suffered her illness in death. He then turns his attention to Demon Archer who looked defeated as she tried to also reveal her name but constantly got interrupted by lunch.
"...ugh…why does man-slayer get all the fun…" She pouted until Doomguy tapped her on the shoulder.
"Oh? Are you interested in my True name?" the dark-haired commander asked with excitement in her eyes.
Doomguy nods.
"Haha! Very well then! I am Oda Nobunaga! Please make your acquaintance Doom-Slayer!" She stated proudly.
He already knew who she was thanks to VEGA figuring it out and posting her name on his HUD, after learning her he decided to cut her some slack.
"Heh, Thanks! I needed that. Anyways! I got to go use the little Nobu's room" She said before dashing off into the woods.
"That makes two more male Historical figures turn out to be female. I wonder if this is a major trait in this world's history…" VEGA said as he blinked his optic. The Slayer agreed it was a little strange but who was he to judge? Women can kick ass as well so he didn't have a problem with it.
After lunch, it was revealed that Nobunaga used tried to use the Grail as a bomb to turn the tide in their war. Before the bomb was done she fell into the reactor, causing this whole situation to occur.
"...You did WHAT?" Both Masters yelled in unison causing Fou to fall off Ritsuka's head after he was resting on top of it during lunch.
"Yeah she's a bit of a dunce. At least she's trying to clean up her mess." Okita said while getting a pouty look from Nobunaga. Eventually, they reached some form of a European town and got welcomed by three more brainwashed servants. Two of them are Gilgamesh and Mephistopheles…
Let's just say Doomguy had some fun for once because Gilgamesh being brainwashed was making him sloppy. Mephistopheles instantly dismissed himself and ran away in fear.
"...I fear no man! But that THING scares me!" He screamed before disappearing.
"Oi! Get back here you mongrel!" Gilgamesh yelled before getting sucker-punched by Doomguy.
The third servant was Anderson the famous writer. He decided to just document the whole thing and wait until it was all over.
"...Ugh I really need to stop falling into situations like these just for the sake of new inspiration. I might run into some crazy nun at some point if I am not careful…" he said as he wrote. He then saw Gilgamesh get defeated after Doomguy swung him around like a ragdoll.
"...Actually, I wouldn't mind a crazy nun showing up if he's around. That'd be some swell entertainment for once". He said before retreating from the fight.
"Please tell me you recorded that fight," Romani whispered to Da-vinci as he came back to the control room from his nap.
"Don't worry, I caught it in 4k." She whispered back while twirling around a USB stick in her fingers. Let's just there is a good amount of servants that would love to see the arrogant King of Heroes getting turned into a punching bag.
Back on the ground…Nobunaga grabbed the teapot that Gilgamesh dropped and confirmed it was the transformed grail used for the bomb. However, she revealed that she tricked Chaldea into defeating the required servants to recharge the grail and thus restoring her powers.
Then she reintroduced herself as Oda Nobunaga…This is odd due to everyone already hearing her the first time.
"Oh, we already know that." Mashu said.
"Huh? How did you know?" Oda said.
"You introduced yourself during lunch, even though nobody asked you." Okita said.
"I even have a recording of it." VEGA added.
"Huh? What was I doing?" Oda said, right as ANOTHER Oda Nobunaga tackles her out of nowhere!
"HAH! I got you now you little imposter! If you think tying me up while I was using the bathroom would stop me! Think again!" The new Oda said while pummeling the imposter.
"Uhhh VEGA! Quickly define which one is our Nobu before things get more wacky!" Ritsuka asked. The last thing they needed was to support the Evil Nobu.
"Already on it. Good Nobu marked." VEGA then marks the Good Nobu with a laser pointer.
"So the other one is the evil Nobu! Got it!" Gudao said as Good Nobu gets kicked away by bad Nobu.
"Hey! Why do I get to be the evil one! She's the level 1 noob here-" Evil Nobbu then froze with the audible sounds of knuckle cracking. She turns around to find Doomguy towering over her with a menacing aura around him…
"HAH! Get her Doom-Slayer!" Good Nobu cheered.
"NOBWAAAAAAAAAA!" Evil Nobu cried as she thought she'd be the final boss of this story…Sadly that is never the case when a very angry man is around…
The End...For now...
The evil Nobu fell to Chaldean's might and now the Grail was recovered. Putting an end to this phase of space chaos and giving Chaldea another Grail fragment to the collection. Some time goes by since then allowing both Okita and Nobu to be summoned to Chaldea as a thank you for helping them out. Right now Nobu was hanging out with Doomguy at the firing range. After seeing his arsenal, she became fascinated by his weapons and asked if she could shoot off a few rounds.
Understanding the urges of a fellow gun nut, he let her play with his shotgun and heavy cannon.
"Haha! Who knew future guns can feel so so to shoot! Not to anything bad about my riffe but it's refreshing to see the descendants of the flintlock" Nobu said as she reloaded shells into the shotgun. At first, Nobu seemed to be annoying but once you get to know her she's a decent person to hang around with. She seems pretty content with what happened in her life and would rather live in the now as a servant. Just a little too much of a hyper-active imagination when it comes to strategy and super weapons.
Not that the Slayer is a stranger to…Creative ways to turn the tides in a war…
He wonders what Mars looks like right now through a telescope…
Doomguy then notices Mashu peeking her head through the training room door. He gave a wave and violet-haired kouhai walked over.
"Ummm I see you let Nobu shoot some of your firearms…I was wondering if I could have a go, please, Doomguy-san?" Mashu said, a little embarrassed. Who knew she'd be interested in guns, no matter, Doomguy was open to teaching youngsters firearms safety.
"Hey, The more the merrier! Right Doom-Slayer?" Nobu said with a smile as she reloaded while Doomguy nodded.
"T-Thank you Doomguy-san! I will make sure to follow all of your instructions!" Mashu bowed before taking a spot beside Nobu.
Lunchtime Stories
Another calm week comes and goes at Chaldea HQ as preparations are being made for the next mission, which means another couple of weeks of nothing much to do or some minor singularity shows up to kill time. Ristuka, Gudao and Mashu spent their free time training or having some well-deserved downtime in the rec-center of the base.
Doomguy was doing his usual routine of training and tinkering during the day while acting security at night. However, it seems that his routine seemed to deviate more and more due to the increased number of servants coming to Chaldea. The more faces wishing to meet the mysterious Demon Slayer from another world really forced him into social situations he would rather avoid.
Now it is lunchtime and The Slayer heads to the Cafeteria as now he has totally surrendered to the culinary skills of the servants that work in the kitchen. He entered the very lively cafeteria and got in line to grab some lunch before hitting the shooting range. It kind of takes him back to hanging out in the mess hall when Doomguy was enlisted in the UAC military…Well, if ignore the fact that some of these guys have swords that shoot lasers of pure Fuck-You, Archers that don't even use a bow or some other Magical BS.
He could feel the many eyes on him as the final battle of Okeanos was recorded and shared all across the base. His actions seemed to have put him into the spotlight in Chaldea due to his foreign strength and armaments. One can not really blame the people here because giant mechs were only thought to be in fiction. Regardless, The Slayer wasn't one to bask in the glory of his deeds... He can't remember why but there was a deeper feeling of sorrow that prevented him from ever feeling the joy of life…
Doomguy walks up to the counter where Tamamo-cat already had his meal ready in a Japanese-style lunchbox.
"Hey, Doomguy! I already put something together for ya. I hope you enjoy it! Nyaa" Tamamo-cat said as she handed him the lunchbox in her oversized paws. Doomguy nods thankfully and takes the well-made meal and heads out to one of the quieter spots of Chaldea to eat.
"Hey Tamamo-Cat. How do you know what he likes?" Boudica asked curiously as she was chopping up some vegetables.
"I actually don't really know what he likes. When I first asked he just shrugged so I just whipped a lunchbox for him. He came back with it empty and gave me a thumbs up!" She answered.
"I noticed you have been changing up his meal a few times. I assume you are trying to figure out what he likes?" Emiya guessed and the maid-theme servant nodded rapidly.
"Yup! I have been changing up everytime! I want to learn what he likes and dislikes even though he hasn't complained about anything I have made. Like a husband always enjoying the lovely lunch made by their wife! Nya." The Berserker maid said.
Tamamo-cat's face turned red at that last embarrassing statement that caused both of her fellow chefs to give her raised eyebrows.
"ImgonnagostickmyheadinthefreezerBYE!" She then zoomed to the walk-in freezer in the back after blurting out that barely understandable statement.
Back with Doomguy, he decided to eat his meal in the engineering department, conveniently Dell was on his break as well so both began to chow down on their lunches.
"Man, who knew heroic spirits were so good at cooking! Sure beats the MRE's I used to eat." He said before taking a drink from his water bottle. Doomguy nods as he understands how tasteless those meals can be, even in the future where he was from marines were still smuggling in Chocolate bars and other goodies. Doomguy then tilts his head as he was curious if Dell was military.
"...Yeah, I used to be in the military before I got chosen to work in a spec ops team." Dell said as he could read the question off of Doomguy. The Chaldean Engineer then told him about how he was assigned to a team that was full of guys from different countries with each having their own specialization to offer. Dell became the tech expert of the team, he was in charge of communications, vehicle maintenance and automated arms deployment.
"There were nine of us. I was dubbed The Engineer when I joined and instantly clicked with the guys. We were a band of badasses that got the said to be impossible jobs done." He reminisced about the past before pausing with a slight face of guilt. The Slayer knew that face all too well, the face of guilt, something terrible happening in the heat of battle.
"I guess it's obvious that one mission…went south…" Dell said with a sad tone in his voice.
"A few of us survived but we decided to retire and go our separate ways. A few months later I received a contract to work at Chaldea and now I am here." He said before finishing his lunch and getting back to work.
Doomguy decided to not pry any further as not every story needed to be retold and left the room to give Dell some space.
The Slayer spends the next few hours in one of the training rooms configured into a Shooting Range. He wasn't alone as some of the other long-range based servants were also keeping their skills sharp. Those very same servants seem to have a hard time focusing on their own training due to them watching him shoot targets with his various weapons.
After fifteen runs of the most difficult setting VEGA created just for each of his weapons, he decides to end the session. He noticed everyone looking at him before they refocused on their own business. Doomguy wasn't a stranger to onlookers due to his time in the Arena and he didn't really care. He exits the room to go check on Ritsuka who seemed to be absent for most of the day.
"Another good round of training eh?" Doomguy turns around to find a male servant with a teal-coloured chest plate and a red-coloured war bow. This was the servant Arash, A legendary hero of Persia.
Doomguy nods.
"Really a man of a few words. Regardless, your skills with modern weapons rivals us bowmen of the past. It's welcoming to see how sharpshooting evolved in future era's." Arash complimented as Doomguy's vision started to blur suddenly.
"Hey, you okay?" Arash asked as he could sense something was wrong. Doomguy shakes his head as he fights against the sudden wave of sluggishness afflicting his body.
"Doomguy-san! Doomguy-san!" Mashu comes running down the hall.
"What's going on, Mashu?" Arash asked as Mashu seemed very worried.
"Ritsuka-senpai won't wake up! She's missed both breakfast and lunch now so we went to check on her. VEGA also seems to be asleep as he is not responding to anybody." Mashu said with many worries as Doomguy's vision was getting more blurry and voices sounded distorted to him
"Strange, the last mission was a week ago so it can't be exhaustion and that wouldn't explain VEGA." Arash said, trying to pinpoint the cause.
"Senpai had Medea look over her, She said that it had to be contract related due to VEGA being asleep as we so I ran to go get Doomguy-san before-" Mashu was then Interrupted by Doomguy collapsing in the middle of the hall.
"Doomguy-san!" Mashu's voice echoed as The Slayer fell into a deep sleep.
Purgatory of Shadows
"Doomguy…Doomguy! Come on! Wake up!" He started to stir awake with the sound of his master's voice. He opens his eyes to find the scrunchie-wearing redhead awake with the VEGA Drone hovering beside her and Fou sitting on top of it... A welcoming sight to see them both well, sadly the familiar dark sky was the exact opposite. The marine quickly stands up while scanning the area with his eyes…
They were back in the burning city of Fuyuki…
"I am as surprised as you are Doomguy. I don't know why we are here again." Ritsuka said observing the still-burning ruins around her.
"All I remember was having a really bad headache when I woke up this morning so I slept in…" Ritsuka pondered as VEGA tried to make contact with Chaldea.
"I am afraid we are on our own, I can't get a signal from Chaldea. This a very strange turn of events as the Rayshift equipment was taken offline for scheduled maintenance." VEGA said.
"Fou…Kyuu." The little guy barked with concern.
So if this wasn't a rayshift then what was it? Did the demons invade Chaldea? No, he was outside the firing range before he passed out.
"Could this be a dream then? I read that the master and servant bond can cause weird dreams." Ritsuka suggested, even though the idea was a stretch as the heat from the flames felt real to her.
"That may be our best hypothesis, Master Ritsuka. The energy readings I am receiving do not match up to my records." VEGA stated as Doomguy picked up a piece of rubble. It felt real and he can attest to that after spending hours to days in the combat simulator. He crushes it in his hand before returning his gaze to the ruins around him…
"Doomguy?" Ritsuka noticed her servant growing quieter than usual. Which only means that he knows something hostile is close by. VEGA saw this as well and moved over to Ritsuka to protect her as she was not wearing her C.E.S unit.
Doomguy swaps his hud into thermal mode as he sees a body moving in the shadows of a distant ruin. His suspicions were confirmed as he saw a humanoid figure in one of the windows. Before he could adjust the zoom to get a better look, the figure's thermal reading disappeared. He turns off his thermal visor and spots the shadow hiding behind a pile of rubble…Then it speeds across to another piece of cover…then another
Without question, Doomguy equipped the heavy cannon and opened fire. He knew a flanking manoeuvre when he saw one, so he countered with his precision bolt. He and the Shadow kept up with each other as their little battle of cat and mouse went on. It almost became a stalemate until his bullet ricocheted back at Doomguy, forcing the marine to bring his arm up to block it. This brought mere milliseconds of an opening but the bogey took it and rocketed up towards them with blazing speeds.
He didn't have time to return fire, but that wasn't an issue for him. He fires a frag and shoots it, causing the bogey to leap into the air as dust clouds the area. Swapping back to thermal he spotted them diving right at him…
With only nanoseconds, he dodges the spear-shaped weapon and pins the assailant to the ground.
"*Cough* Doomguy! Are you okay?" Ritsuka said as the dust finally settled to reveal her servant had grappled someone to the ground with his blade to their neck. It was a woman with dark reddish-purple hair in a dark-coloured body suit with silver pauldrons. Next to them was a spear of well-known design which caused her to question who she was even more.
"Is that…Gae Bolg?" Ritsuka pondered who the woman was, but Doomguy already knew the answer as he had met this woman before.
It was Scathach, Queen of the Land of Shadows.
They both just stare at each other for a few moments, her ruby-red eyes looking into his dark green visor. Doomguy sensed something as he looked into her eyes…it was that slight sense of wanting something she could not have…Why would she be like that when she was inches away from dying?
"Well, I wasn't expecting to run into you again so soon." Her stare then turns into a smile as Doomguy retracted his arm blade.
"Eh?" Ritsuka uttered while VEGA blinked his optic in confusion.
"Oh, you never told Ritsuka about our previous meeting?" Scathach smiled as Doomguy got off of her and offered a hand. She accepted and he pulled her back to her feet.
"Ehh?" Ritsuka then looked at her servant for an answer…He nodded at her.
"Ehhhh?!" The Redhead muttered while still confused as ever. Leaving VEGA to try to get some answers. He scanned the spear and it matched the Designs of Gae Bolg which led him to figure out her True Name instantly.
"Greetings, are you perhaps Lady Scathach?" VEGA asked as he detected an enormous amount of magical energy from her.
"Scathach. The god-killing superhuman who has gained divinity through many years of combat as no one was able to defeat her" VEGA then explained to Ritsuka who was in dire need of more information. It was hard for her and Gudao to keep up with all the historical figures. Thankfully Mashu and VEGA were always there to fill in the blanks for them.
"I see…Scathach, huh…" She said while looking at the woman next to her servant.
"You are an observant one aren't you? Correct, I am Scathach. I apologise for the surprise attack, I wanted to test him " Scathach said while gesturing to Doomguy as she retrieved her spear.
"Kyu?!" Fou yelped.
"She is mentioned in Celtic Myths of the first century, peticulary in the Ulster cycle. A, invincible warrior, the ruler of a supernatural realm similar to the underworld. She even trained the great hero Cu Chulainn. According to Chaldea's records she is also one of this world's historic Magi." VEGA said, then facing the woman in question.
"...However, she shouldn't be able to be summoned as a servant due to her immortality." VEGA added before shifting his optic at both Doomguy and Scathach.
"So…She's like Doomguy then? Another Heroic Spirit that hasn't ascended to the throne of heroes?" Ritsuka asked.
"Oh, interesting. To think I was the only immortal warrior. Yet...Something tells me there's more to it. Is that right 'Doomguy'?" Scathach said while smiling at what was clearly a nickname.
The Slayer just nods in response.
"We first met here in Fuyuki. He and VEGA saved my life right after being summoned." Ritsuka then explained their current missions to save Humanity from Incineration and the forces of hell.
"...I see, then the threat was extended beyond my realms borders. Well then I will assist you in getting out of this little predicament so you and your friends can get back on your quest." Scathach said.
"So, what is happening here anyways?" Ritsuka asked.
"You are inside a dream, sharing a memory of an intense experience you both had. Perhaps I should say this is how the system works. Still, this is quite an interesting phenomenon." Scathach said, referring to the Master-servant bond. Doomguy did a quick look around just to make sure this was actually Fuyuki and not one of the hell-scared cities he battled through. The last thing he wanted was for her to see cities in a worse state than Fuyuki was.
"As VEGA said, I was never meant to be here since I retired from the battlefields. I won't get into too much of why I've been summoned, but-I've shown myself for many reasons. One of them is to solve the problem occurring within this dream." The warrior queen explained as she glanced over at Doomguy as he was inspecting his gear.
"Master of Chaldea, VEGA, Slayer. Calm yourselves and open your eyes. Witness what was brought forth by all the abnormalities. Something is out of the ordinary here." As Scathach finished her sentence. A hoard of the undead appears out of nowhere and attacks them with vicious ferocity.
"Being attacked by the undead even in a dream world. Why am I not surprised? Doomguy-" Without waiting for his master's orders he dashes past her and starts blasting the groaning dead with a full auto barrage of buckshot.
"Quick on his feet and without mistepped." Scathach observed as Doomguy rips apart a fleshly golem with just one hand before stuffing a grenade in its open wound. He then kicks it down the hill and it detonates on more of the horde.
"...Brutal, yet effective. No mistakes in his form either…" The Celtic woman said, judging him with her red eyes as he revs up his chainsaw.
"Oooh boy. Things are about to get messy…Well, that's the least of our concerns. Get 'em Doomguy!" Ritsuka said while standing behind VEGA above getting hit by flying bits of ice and bone. If it wasn't for the C.E.S, her dry-cleaning bill would be through the roof.
"No battle is fought without getting one's hands dirty. Now this is worth travelling through the eras. An Impressive response, and pleasantly high morale." Scathach said as she summoned a second spear in her left hand.
"...Wah! Scathach?" Ritsuka said as the woman steps forward.
"Yes, I'll be playing too, Ritsuka. I figure it's time for me to join the fun. Fight Fight Fight until you win!" She then darts forward into the fray and cleaves through undead alongside Doomguy.
"Celts are crazy!" Ritsuka said while VEGA watched the battle unfold against the moderately sized army of the dead. Sadly, those monsters' efforts were in vain as both eternal warriors cleaved through the army with little effort.
"Whoa…They are both really strong together." The redhead said as watched with wide eyes full of amazement.
"Yes, Scathach seems to synergize well with The Slayer. Perhaps it's because her battle experience is comparable to his own. According to Cu Chulainn, She is constantly fighting and defeating the spirits of the dead within the realm she rules over." VEGA explained.
"...and she is an immortal warrior just like Doomguy…" Ritsuka pondered.
"Kyu!" Fou agreed.
Within a mere moment, the dead were put back into the ground by Doomguy and Scathach. They return to the others without barely a scratch on them, which was expected for such warriors. Ritsuka gave her congrats to them as they both did amazingly in protecting her.
"I have to say, you are quite the warrior. Slayer. It's been a long time since a soldier has surprised me with battle techniques I have yet to see." Scathach complimented and Doomguy gave her a nod. He watched her as she fought alongside her against the undead; he couldn't deny that she was damn good in a fight. The finesse she had with that spear bested the top Sentinel warriors during the battle for Tara's Nabad, while her skill with runes always gave her an edge against her opponents.
…Everything about her being topped off with her fair looks for a fierce warrior like herself…
Doomguy averted his gaze as he pushed that thought to the back of his mind.
"Heheh. You've never met an Ulster woman, have you, Slayer?" Scathach teased, something thought to be impossible to do to Doomguy.
"...Ahem. Anyways. How do we get out of here?" Ritsuka asked while making a mental note on Doomguy's reaction to Scathach comment.
Said lady then reveals that they are in a sort of purgatory full of remnants of the fallen enemies they faced during their quest to save the world. Stuck in an endless existence as death seemed to have abandoned them. Somehow Doomguy, VEGA and Ritsuka got dragged into this purgatory due to the Chaldean current state existing while the world is burning.
"Then…Why isn't Gudao and Mashu here?" Ristuka asked.
"I believe your contract with a powerful being might've made you a bigger target. Do not fret, your friends are fine. Even if they got sent here instead of you, No doubt little Mashu would be able to handle this rabble." Scathach said as her own form of clairvoyance informed her of the Shielder and brave master. Scathach then explains that this whole purgatory is also the result of the incineration of humanity, the overflow of death from eras that have been burned away…
This caused some unease within Ritsuka as it reminded her of what was at stake. Doomguy then patted his master on the head to assure her that they will be alright and they will get the job done. Ritsuka smiled back and both do a fist bump as they are not gonna let some angry spirits get in their way.
"Hehe. I thought you'd get scared, but you are still holding on to hope. I can't believe how pure you and your friends are. Those that remain pure in darkness are often the strongest." Scathach smiled as she could sense the strong bond between the two. Ritsukas painful past was already known to Scathach, thus she could read that the little one sees her servant as a father figure.
Yet, her powers could not give the spearwoman a clear picture of the Demon Slayer from another world. It made her pause in thought for a few moments before leaving that mystery for later.
"-It's time to go. Follow me. We shall destroy all the remnants that threaten to overwhelm you. It's best to not leave such spirits to overflow...I know how frustrating it is to want to die, and not be able to. If the gods will not save them, I will. If they want a fight, I have no reason to refuse " The Queen of Shadows said as Doomguy loaded fresh shells into his Super Shotgun.
"So this is the Celtic way…" Ritsuka said while looking a both warriors
"Yes, Master Ritsuka. This is the violent yet dependable power of the Celtics" VEGA added.
The Might of Ulster
After seeing some more of her skills and strength, Doomguy had to agree that Scathach reminded him of many women of Argenta. Many were warriors alongside the men and fought just as ferociously. Her skill matched, if not succeeded that of the Night Sentinels. The Order of master warriors that gave helped him harness his rage and use it as a weapon of precision rather than pure aggression. Much attested to an outlander joining their ranks but he ended up proving himself during the Unholy Crusades.
Some of the women of The Night Sentinels sought to claim him for marriage, he quickly turned them all down as wasn't interested in them. All that mattered was killing Demons…He had no time for Romance…Not anymore at least.
As they walked through the burning city, VEGA explained their history with this place. Although Mashu and Gudao weren't present, the Chaldea data recorder was still functional during the time of the bombings. So VEGA was able to fill in the gaps for Scathach. He mentioned that those two were assisted by the Caster servant Cu Chulainn. Scathach was very pleased to hear that her student did well in assisting Mashu to deploy her Pseudo Noble Phantasm. She made a note to thank her student the next time they meet If that was possible for her.
*ROAR*
But yet those thoughts were put on pause as a massive dragon appeared from the rubble.
"Uhhh VEGA! Did Mashu and Gudao face a Dragon in Fuyuki?!" Ritsuka asked.
"I am afraid the battle recordings of Fuyuki had no entries on dragons. Prepare for battle!" VEGA answered
"If it's not Wyverns it's dragons. Get 'em Doomguy!" Ritsuka said while giving him an attack boost.
"Fou! Fou!" Fou cheered him on.
It didn't take long for him to slay the winged beast as it was no stronger than Fafnir and his mind seemed to be unhindered at the moment. The Dragon falls after getting its wings severed, getting several grenades down its gullet causing yet another gory mess of a mythical beast.
"That was fast." Ritsuka said as she poked her head out from behind some cover from the explosion of dragon bits.
"Yes, that was the fastest execution of a fafnir class dragon on record." VEGA commented.
"Oh? You are done? Very well done." Scathach said as she appeared from around the corner with a burly man in green attire wielding an odd-looking sword.
"I guess I was late to the party. Looks like you guys mopped the floor with that thing," he said in a slightly disappointed voice but remained cheerful.
"The Name's Fergus, The young leader of the Ulster Rand Branch Knights! Fergus Mac Roich, at your service!" He said. Scathach then explained that she summoned him using her authority just in case things went south with the battle. Yet again she was very impressed with The Slayer's power in battle.
"The Celtic-ness level in this place just doubled." Ritsuka comments with Fou nodding.
"Well Stuff like that happens whenever Ms Scathach is around. What's your guy's name by the way?" Fergus asked.
"I am Ritsuka and this is Doomguy, VEGA and Fou." The young master said with Fergus raising an eyebrow at the Slayer's name. VEGA then gave a brief summary of The Slayer and himself.
"Ahh So a Demon Slayer from another world here with Scathach, one of the best warrior teachers in this world…She put her hands on you yet?" Fergus then got smack in the back of the head by Scathach while Ritsuka felt her eye twitch…
"I-I don't go after everything that moves, like you do. I invite only the finest warriors to my bedchamber." Scathach said as Doomguy was covering Ritsuka's ears to protect her innocence. Thankfully his gauntlets were clean as he did his duty in keeping his master's sanity.
"So, what about him then?" Fergus said while pointing at Doomguy.
"...Let's focus back on our objective here!" Scathach said while gripping hard on her spear.
"That would be the most preferred course of action," VEGA said and they started to move forward into getting out of this mess.
As they pressed forward, The drill-shaped sword wielder started to tell the story of his time teaching Cu Chulainn. He mentioned that said warrior wasn't too keen with a sword but quickly picked up on the spear. Ritsuka responds with how Cu Chulainn helped them in Fuyuki as a Caster, A druid to be exact.
"A WHAT? Was he getting bullied?" Fergus expressed anger as he couldn't fathom his best student becoming a druid.
"Hahah! Yes, that's the reaction I was looking for. Nothing really gets funnier than this." Scathach laughed as payback for that previous conversation.
"Fou, foufou, kyuu?" Fou said to Doomguy who just shrugged back. He thought it was common knowledge that certain heroes can be summoned into different classes or just be an alternate version of a person. He guessed that he must be used to it due to having a trio of Artorias walking around the base.
"Scathach taught him her rune magic, correct? Perhaps that on its own can make him a caster." VEGA suggested.
"Correct. Yet modern mages won't know that I can use Primordial Runes. A type of Magical Crest lost in your modern era." She then explained that she was able to summon Fergus without using a holy grail. Ritsuka's eyes widened in amazement at such power. On top of that, she is a total badass warrior like Doomguy…
"...I wish one of us in the red branch had even a fraction of that intellect. Well, that's Ancient magecraft for ya!" Fergus commented before they head out to the next area.
They eventually reach the red bridge that connects the two regions of burning city. Somehow it was still standing amongst the destruction, so Doomguy had to give his respect to its engineering.
"...If this isn't, then what is? Yes, this is the prime place for a battle yet still!" Fergus complained as the area seemed to be clear of enemies.
"I'd also love to go find a nice lady, with things in the state there aren't any around! No men, either!" Fergus added, causing Doomguy to shake his head and Ristuka to facepalm.
"Hah, lust is what makes a hero but you, you are on a completely different level. Thos bestial urges your might be the source of power that makes you a hero." Scathach sighed at Fergus's antics.
"If I recall, His legend was that no woman was able to be with him for more than a few days. In the end he married a forest goddess." VEGA said, explaining the extraordinary urges of Caladbolg's owner in a professional manner. Doomguy could not believe that a man would be so much to handle that a goddess had to show up to take that "Situation" at least it seemed that both parties were happy in the end…At least he hoped that was the situation.
"That's right, a Divine spirit. He was too much to handle that a goddess had to show up. Gods' appearances were rare to begin with in the Ulster Cycle and one of those very rare appearances was made by his wife. He was too much to handle that a goddess had to show up." Scathach said.
"That's…Something." Ritsuka said as she wasn't too comfortable with the topic of passionate love.
"Hahaha! You've got that right if I do say so myself! Whew…At this point, I'll have to risk my life and ask Ms Scathach. Since she's the only lady her other than-" Fergus's words were then interrupted by the sound of a shotgun being pumped with murderous intent…
"Yikes! Doomguy! Gun down! Bad Doomguy! Bad!" Ritsuka said, trying to defuse the situation.
"Whoa, Whoa! I have Standards! She's just a kid and I'll kill any bastard that messes with them." Fergus explained his morals. Doomguy then lowers his gun to the relief of his master and everyone else.
"...Whew. Anyways, she probably already has a swell girlfriend or boyfriend with a Dad like you around." Fergus said with a light-hearted joke meant to compliment Doomguy's vigilance.
"D-don't say silly things like that!" Ritsuka said while hiding behind Doomguy like a shy kid at a party. Scathach let out a small laugh at Ritsuka's silliness of youth, even after facing the forces of hell.
"Haha! So that just leaves Ms Scathach then to settle my urges. As an Ulster man, it's my destiny to someday mathe the Lady of Shadows my own…" Fergus said while Doomguy couldn't believe the hypercharged sex drive of the man. Seriously, there was more important stuff to take care of right now.
"I'm ready whenever." Scathach said, causing Doomguy to nearly trip himself over. Are Celts always this open when it comes to hookups?! These Heroic spirits keep getting wackier with each one he meets.
"Foufoufou!" The furball contests.
"IF you want to receive a blow from my spear that can kill a god, then free. Come closer. Don't worry, I will treat you well." Scathach said while raising her weapon, ready for a fight. Fergus got the idea that he wasn't going to get his dream without a fight against one of the best warriors on the planet. He accepts her offer but for a later date as such a fight would need decades of training and they needed to help Ritsuka's group….
As much as he tried to hide it…He was also extremely terrified as Scathach stared at him with those blood-red eyes of hers.
"I don't know don't know whether to be amazed or frightened right now…" Ritsuka said and Doomguy just shrugged.
"Don't worry, Young Ritsuka, you don't have to worry about him. There, there" Scathach then gave her some legendary tier of head pat that no mortal has ever experienced. As Doomguy watched he couldn't get the image of a mother and daughter bonding…He could sense the utter glee coming off of his master and it was well earned after what she has been through.
"So lets be honest, are you eyeing Scathach as well." Fergus whispered, Causing The Slayer's eye to twitch.
"Like, I just want to know if you want a shot at her. Since I think she has her eye on you." Fergus continued much to the Slayer's boiling-over annoyance.
"Don't be embarrassed about it, I can't blame you for wanting to bed-"
*CRITICAL HIT*
Fergus fell to the ground and into the fetal position. The Slayer's strike was so swift that it didn't let the man even make a peep.
"uhh…What happened?" Ritsuka and Scathach looked to find Fergus on the ground in pain while Doomguy had his arm crossed.
"He tripped." VEGA said, covering for Doomguy.
"Kyu, Kyu!" Fou barked, also covering for Doomguy.
After that incident, Doomguy really wanted to get out of this purgatory. The group cleaved through more remnants of the dead taking the form of fallen foes. Even taking the form of a demon god pillar, which fell swiftly thanks to a blast from Caladbolg and The BFG 9000.
The end to this nightmare eventually comes after defeating a remnant in the form of Artemis. All the overflowing remnants have been removed from not only Ritsuka's heart but apparently Gudao and Mashu's as well. This problem shouldn't happen again once they wake up from this distant dream as everyone starts to fade away in a familiar golden light.
"Well, I guess this is where we part ways. It was fun hanging out with you guys and Thanks for summoning me, Ms Scathach. I guess we will have to have that duel another time." Fergus said before fading away.
"It was good to fight alongside your Fergus mac Roich. Farewell," Scathach said.
"I guess this is goodbye then?" Ritsuka asked.
"Correct, you all get a perfect score for making it through this small trial. Now, since that's done…This is as far as i go." Scathach words started to sadden Ritsuka. She knows that Scathach was still alive so she couldn't be summoned. For some reason, this made this goodbye extra hard for her
"The overflowing remnants have been removed from your hearts. So there is no need for me to stay-" Scathach paused as Ritsuka suddenly hugged her. Scathach never was one to receive such kindness from a child so she froze for a second while glancing over at Doomguy.
He nods before she could even think about asking for permission.
Scathach then smiles and hugs the young one back.
"It's easy to forget how fragile pure souls like you are…Don't worry, Little Ritsuka, I have a feeling we will meet again." Scathach assured the young master as she ran her fingers through Ritsuka's hair.
"Promise?" Ritsuka asked, looking up at her.
"If you were able to summon living legends like The Slayer. Then The Queen of Shadow's isn't too far behind." Scathach said, comforting the orphaned child. Ritsuka then smiles as she disappears from the purgatory realm along with Fou and VEGA. Leaving only the two warriors until the realm finally fades away. Scathach then stepped closer to the Slayer, Gazing into the green visor that hides his face.
"Now that we are alone, what is troubling you?" Scathach asked.
Doomguy was hesitant to tell her, but then he remembers what Valen told him. Find someone eternal like him to find the key to regaining full control of his powers.
"My anger is not my own." He said.
"Hmmm…it should be expected with the madness enhancement. However at rank EX you pretty much retain your sanity. Has this become an issue outside of our meetings?" She asks and he nods.
"Ah, so you are losing control when the battles take too long and becoming blind to Ritsuka' safety in the process…" Scathach figured out using her wisdom to view his recent battles.
"You even nullified a command seal…" Scathach pondered, her powers were vast yet she can't pinpoint what is wrong with The Slayer. A powerhouse like him becoming a servant shouldn't cause an issue…Unfortunately, their time together was at an end as Doomguy began to fade away rapidly.
"Our time is cut short, I will look into your problem with your powers. Until next we meet. Slayer."
Within seconds Doomguy wakes up finding himself in the Chaldea medical bay with Ritsuka, Gudao, and Mashu standing next to his bed.
"Oh thank goodness you're awake now Doomguy-san." Mashu said with relief.
"Yeah you three really gave us a scare." Gudao added as Doomguy stood up out of the medical bed. Everything seemed to be in order as he stretched and cracked his joints.
"I and master Ritsuka have already explained our experiences while asleep." VEGA said while blinking his optic
"Yeah! I can't believe that you met Scathach! The legendary Queen of Shadows!" Mashu said, bouncing up and down. Causing her master to giggle a bit at the sight of her excitement.
"S-senpai! Why are you laughing? I just think it's amazing to meet such a person…" Mashu crossed her arms while her cheeks were red.
"Sorry, You look very cute when you are excited… like…that…" Gudao paused his words as his face also turned extremely red. Seeing the sight of both her friends staring at each other Ritsuka grows a devilish grin.
"Oh my, Look at the happy couple." The redhead commented, causing Shielder and her master to start stammering.
"I-it's not like that! I-I was just…" Gudao couldn't process any words.
"Ritsuka-Senpai! Stop saying ridiculous things!" Mashu yelled while only feeling her face getting redder. Their reactions only fueled Ritsuka's motives to get the two together even more.
"Okay Okay I get it, you are both shy. I will stop…Anyways sorry for making you guys worry." Ritsuka said with a genuine smile as the Trio left the room to converse some more.
The Pain of Being Eternal...
"I shall go catch up on any tasks I missed while we were out. Is there anything you need before I go?" He asked and Doomguy shook his head as they both left the room. Doomguy decided to retreat to his personal quarters for the day, he locked the door behind him and placed Lucifer's Bane on his worktable. He then takes off his gauntlets and helmet to prepare to take a shower. Once the rest of his armour was he entered his on-suite bathroom. Looking into the mirror for a brief moment as it reflected his god-like male physique with scars scattering over his body. His face was of Rigid build with Chestnut brown hair with dull brown eyes…He looks away due to the pain of his missing memories…
The man couldn't remember his own name…Striking his heart with unfathomable pain.
He steps into the shower for some much-needed soak. His fortress lacked a functioning shower due to the modifications he made during his banishment by Dr Hayden. During that time he didn't care about personal hygiene when he was constantly ripping and tearing demons all the time. Although he never could smell anything bad when cleaning his armour. Maybe a side effect of the seraphim's blessing?
Doomguy sits in the shower as the hot water runs over his body. His mind drifted to think about Scathach…The only other person he knows that's been fighting for millennia proven in just a few battles…It was not just her skills that caught his eyes but her beauty as well. Those ruby-red eyes…
How her bodysuit hugged her very womanly form…
Doomguy then clutched his chest due to a strange twist of heartache and warmth storming within him.
He cursed this pain…
He cursed whoever took his memories…
He cursed himself…
Scathach wakes up in the throne room of her castle within the Land of Shadows. She rubs her eyes as memories of what happens replayed in her mind. The famous warrior helped cleanse the hearts of Chaldea's masters and their primary servants.
"Another battle won." She said to the emptiness of her palace, wondering when she will be truly summoned to fight for Chaldea. Scathach then chooses to spend a few hours relaxing before tending to her kingdom of death. The Celtic woman walks through the halls of her home until she reaches the baths as her chosen place to relax. Thanks to her rune magic it is self-heated and maintained due to her being the only resident here. She takes off her gear and steps into the warm water waiting below, her unblemished skin still in the prime of her youth takes the plunge.
"Ahhh." Scathach let out a sigh of relief. It has been a while since she has been able to enjoy some time to herself. A refreshing blessing thanks to her sudden return to the battlefield. As she floated in the baths facing her thoughts then turned to the one the Demons fear…The Doomslayer. Seeing him fight again was such a treat for a teacher like herself. It's been so long since she was able to be a judge of warrior skills and might.
However, she still had questions about the man.
"Who are you Slayer? What put you on this path?" Scathach pondered as she leaned back to let herself float in the water.
She has taught and raised many warriors, yet none of them fought with such purpose and rage. Seeing The Slayer battle was a rush to her due to how unique his skills were. It was honestly refreshing to see such a warrior still exists in other worlds…
It made her want to see him more…See more of his skill…Learn more about him and get a sparring match or two…
Perhaps see more than those biceps of his…
"...I am getting ridiculous…" She exclaimed, shaking her head while she blushed slightly.
(This Chapter was Beta'd By Darklord331)
AN: The first wave of Nobu's have been slain, but we all know that is not the end of GUDA-GUDA! Yeah...Doomguy wasn't prepared to see such creatures in this latest adventure. Yeah...I went overkill on this one. I made sure to give Guda-Guda a good time in the spotlight before I nerded out on the Scathach trial quest. (Poor Fergus)
The Later chapters of Guda-Guda have more worth to their story so I'll have more interesting stuff to work with. Don't worry Hijikata Toshizo, Nagao Kagetora and Okita Alter Fans! They will get their time with our local Slayer!
As for Trail quests, I am only doing the ones that had a story attached to them. I will still try to get most servants in the spotlight as that's
the charm of FGO.
Anyways, Next up is London!
Have a nice day!