Chapter 21

Now entering: The City of Mists…

Today is another big day at the last Bastion of humanity, Chaldea was about to launch their fourth major mission. Almost halfway to restoring this world's humanity and sealing off hell. Chaldea was still holding strong, thanks to those three kids carrying the world's fate on their shoulders.

Doomguy was in his room tending to his guns while reading a comic book until he heard a knocking on his door.

"Hey Doomguy? May I come in?" Ritsuka asked. Doomguy remotely opened the door through his HUD and his Master walked in. Ritsuka looked around and the room was pretty spartan minus the workbench and the usual bedroom essentials. Her servant looked at her waiting to help with anything she needed while sitting in an office chair next to his workbench.

"Hey, I was wondering if I could show you something," Ritsuka asked politely as she was holding something in her hands. Her servant nods and she sits on the bed while he rolls over on the chair. She then opens her hands to reveal a golden locket on a silver necklace. Looked well kept as Doomguy could see his reflections in the metal.

"This the most important thing in my life…It's…All I have left of them." Ritsuka then opened the locket to show a picture of a man and a woman and a younger-looking Ritsuka. It didn't need any explanation that this was a picture of Ritsuka with her parents.

"My Dad was in the military while my Mom was stay-at-home. It was hard sometimes but we made it the best time ever when we were together…." Ritsuka said smiling. Doomguy could tell that his master's parents loved her dearly and did their best to make her happy.

"...Then…Dad didn't come home…And Mom got sick…They both are gone…" Ritsuka said, holding back tears. Doomguy knew already thanks to Romani telling him, but never prepared him to see Ritsuka blaming herself for her parent's death.

Yes, he could tell that Ritsuka felt responsible for her Father getting Killed in Action and her Mother falling to her illness. The Slayer could read it because he knows the feeling of loss all too well. Even with his fragmented memories, the pain in his heart persists.

"S-sorry, I-I t-thought I could do this without…" Ritsuka struggled with her words as she started to sob…Doomguy couldn't let her sit there and cry, it was his duty as a servant to support his master.

He also finds a surge of paternal instincts, Something he didn't know he had.

Doomguy places his hand on her head, instantly making Ritsuka go in for a hug. He let her hug him and he patted her on the back as she cried into his shoulder.

"..I miss them…I-It was my fault they died…" She sobbed.

"Your parents loved you."

The Slayer's rarely used voice made Ritsuka move away from his shoulder and look her servant in the eye.

"...You wouldn't be who you are if they didn't…"

Doomguy's faith in words didn't change, but he understood his position as her guardian. So, he gave her the most honest and needed words he could muster from his hardened heart. His few words worked and Ritsuka stopped crying while wiping away the tears from her eyes.

"T-thank you…I'm sorry that I can be an emotional wreck sometimes." she said as Doomguy patted her head. It didn't bother him at all, it's what makes her human after all.

"Would a certain Redhead and extra-dimensional Demon-slayer please report to the command room-" Da-vinci's voice echoed over the PA.

"-Da-vinci! Please keep it professional! Ahem, Ritsuka and Doomguy please report to the command room." Romani then took over, annoyed by her antics.

"Hehe, Well it looks like it's back to work! Come on! I'll race you there!" Ritsuka said while running out of the room. Doomguy followed her out to the control room, letting her take the lead to let his master have some fun. Ritsuka's smile was pure sight…Too pure for a man like him…

Once Ritsuka beat Doomguy to the Command Room, the briefing was already underway. Romani, Da-vinci and VEGA were explaining their findings regarding King Solomon and the 72 Demons Gods. They viewed the era the King of Israel and the 72 Demongods hail from but no singularities were found. Making it odd for them to be related to each other due to being from completely different eras.

"...That's not the case if you were serving someone else as a servant, right?" Mashu asked.

"Correct. Like our little duo, one can simply use Solomon as a familiar in his own era…That way, one could also control the 72 demon gods" Da-vinci said while gesturing to Ritsuka and Gudao.

"Sigh. Using the 72 Demon-gods as Familiars…Hard to believe such things even existed but here we are pushing back a Hell invasion. Regardless, I don't think King Solomon is the kind of person that would aid such evil." Romani added, supporting the likely possibility that Solomon is being forced by a master.

"What do you think, VEGA?" Gudao asked the AI.

"That is a possibility however as we have there is the problem of King Solomon even accepting such a contract. Even other systems other than Chaldea would just make it more difficult to summon such an individual…" VEGA said.

"He is right, I was summoned because I could trust the director back then. I told you before, didn't I? I'm Chaldea's third successful summon. It's definitely worth noting!" Leonardo added.

"Wait, Who's number one and two then?" Ritsuka asked.

"No,2 Is right in front of you. It's Mashu. As for number 1, no one knows at this point. No. 1 and No. 2 are treated as confidential matters. Only the previous director knew the details." Da-Vinci stated the status of the other two servants summoned before her. VEGA sent a private message to the Slayer that the Data on both servants were also expunged from the records. However, he mentioned that he had a developing theory on who was number 2.

"Senpai's. The heroic spirit who rescued me is No.2…Not that I know his true name or skills." Mashu said, feeling a little down that she still has no idea who she fused with.

"Does this mean Doomguy is No.4?" Ritsuka asked, trying to take the attention off of her embarrassed Kouhai.

"Well Technically he wasn't summoned by us as he just kinda popped in out of nowhere. But hey he came to Chaldea the moment you guys got out of Fuyuki so that counts in my books." Romani said as he explained some of Chaldea's history to the youngsters. Number 1 ended up in a failure while the second was incomplete, Leonardo was the first successful summon to Chaldea.

"I'll be honest that I'd never expect the servant to be summoned after me would be a marvellous hero." Da-Vinci added before Romani refocuses the subject to where they are Rayshifting to. The target was the city of London, England in the 19th century making it the closest singularity to modern times out of the seven. The singularity has restricted itself to only the city rather than a widespread event compared to its predecessors. In theory, it would also be easier to explore thanks to trains and carriages so that the masters wouldn't have to walk everywhere

"...That is, of course, If you can manage to use them. Since some abnormalities have been detected…" Romani commented before re-issuing the mission of finding the Holy Grail and destroying any foothold Hell has created along the way.

"Understood. So, will we be working within a city this time?" Mashu asked.

"Yes, that's right. Lucky you! London, the city of fog. If only I could go with you all. Please get Sherlock Holmes's autograph if you see him." Romani joked before getting chastised by Mashu.

"Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character, Doctor. It is impossible to meet him compared to a historical heroic spirit." VEGA said.

"...I agree with VEGA. I'm sorry, but please give up." Mashu added with an unamused look.

"Ouch, Mashu got some fire in her." Ritsuka whispered to Doomguy and he just gave a slight nod. He was more focused on the layout of the city and the risk of civilian casualties. Cities are prime targets for demons due to the number of innocent souls of civilians trying to go about their lives. At least a city will be easier to auto-map and navigate rather than a largely uninhabited region. His growing concern was this uneasy feeling that was clawing at him, like slight scratches on a chalkboard.

What made it worse was that it was familiar to him…Meaning it had to be related to his lost memories.

The servant looks over to his master as she exits the change room in her C.E.S and the feeling shifts to dread.

"Something wrong, Doomguy?" Ritsuka asked, noticing his thousand-yard stare.

"Kyuu?" Fou said, sensing the unease of Doomguy.

He shook his head not wanting to worry her before the start of the

mission. Pushing that feeling away, they all get into their coffins for the Rayshift.

"...William…Don't let the world take you…"

Without any issue, they were transported into the city of London which was now covered in a very dense fog. Reduce visibility was expected when day shifted in but this was worse than expected.

"...Fog? No, could it be smoke? It's extremely dense-" Mashu then looked around and noticed half of their team was missing.

"Where's Ritsuka, Doomguy and VEGA?" Gudao said, trying to spot the missing party members

"Ritsuka! Doomguy! VEGA! Are you out there?" He called into the fog but didn't get a response. Romani was already on the case and instantly contacted them on the comms.

"I can't find them either, the fog is so dense that it is messing with our sensors. I am trying to contact them now but all I am getting is static." Romani reported as he continued the scan, which worried the duo.

"At least we know they are alive then. With Doomguy-san and VEGA, Ritsuka Senpai should be safe enough." Mashu said, keeping a calm state of mind while being confident that they will find them.

"Yeah, Either VEGA fixes the comms or Doomguy finds us. Romani, Fill us in on the Fog." Gudao said.

"...hmmm I am picking up an abnormal amount of magical energy readings from the fog. It's dense. Very dense. Really dense. No, this may be a little too dense! It's like the atmosphere is saturated with magical energy! So much that it's toxic to most life forms. Mashu, Gudao, how are you feeling?" Romani asked after getting the very alarming reading that the fog could sap the life out of anything it touches.

"There's nothing wrong with me. Probably because I'm a demi-servant. How about you, Senpai? You don't seem…any different than usual." Mashi said, feeling fine as ever.

"Same as always." Gudao said, not feeling any negative effects of the fog.

"Fou! Fou!" The little guy confirmed he was fine as well.

With the news that Gudao was completely fine from being in the fog, it was suggested that Mashu might have a poison resistance skill that is shared with her master. A very useful trait that was gifted to her from the Heroic Spirited she fused with.

"Ok…Then no vital sign changes on gudao…Oh no!" Romani was alerted as Ritsuka's vitals started to come in on his end.

"What is it Doctor!?" Mashu asked, worried by Romani's reaction.

"Crap! You guys have to go find them fast! Ritsuka's vitals are dropping! This proves that gudao is immune while she is getting affected by the fog. Doomguy must not have such a skill to provide to Ritsuka" Romani said while trying to get a lock on the missing persons.

"What about her C.E.S? Can it help her?" Gudao said while trying to contact Ritsuka on his end.

"The life support systems are helping for now but you guys need to get moving while I'll try to get-"

"I am already on it Doctor," The Wretch said, splicing into the comms to save the day once again.

"Are you with them?" Romani asked

"I am not, but I do have a lock on the Praetor suit's emergency beacon. I will send you the data so you can pick it up on your end. The Slayer never used it before so I am surprised he transferred it to his new suit." The Wretch's words brought some relief to the group but they needed to get moving.

"Then we should go save them then!" Mashu said

"No, you two continue your mission, Hell energy levels are low in that singularity so you two can press on before things get worse."

"But.." Gudao and Mashu wanted to go help Ritsuka, but The Wretch was right; they needed to push the advantage they had.

"He's right…Ritsuka's vitals have stabilised a bit but she isn't out of the woods yet. We can't let this singularity exist for too long before Hell gets a foothold here." Romani said as he detected life signs in the surrounding buildings.

"Kids, I ain't gonna let her die. I promise. Just at least get a safe house going." The ex-demon assured them. Both Mashu and Gudao looked at each other and nodded. They needed to be strong for their allies and can't rush into the fog without at least finding a leyline.

"Ok, We will fine a safe place to stay but please call us if we can help!" Gudao said.

"Ritsuka senpai…Please be safe…" Mashu said before hearing the sound of armoured footsteps.

"Oi, what's all the racket over here?"

Murder On a Misty Night...

A Few minutes earlier.

"Whew, that was a Rayshift…Hey, where's Mashu and Gudao?" Ritsuka said after stretching her back.

"It would seem that we have been separated, I have calculated this could happen. If they are not here then they are most likely at a secondary nav-point I have programmed into the Rayshift." VEGA once again prepared for all scenarios and assured them that their missing team members were safe.

"However…I might have forgotten to mention the adjustments I made before the mission." VEGA said while reflecting on his actions before getting petted by Ritsuka.

"No problem, VEGA. We know you are just watching out for us." She said as VEGA tilted his optic to the side and blinked. Doomguy was ever on alert now that they have landed, this fog was the prime cover for anything that loves to creep around. Assassin class servants, Prowlers or even a Mauradur could use this fog to their advantage.

"This fog appears to be interfering with my sensors and My ability to contact Chaldea. We should attempt to find an area where the fog is thinner then try to regroup with the others." VEGA continued and Doomguy nodded with this Idea, the more eyes that can watch the fog the better. With that, they strolled through the empty and fog-flooded streets of 19th-century London. They could only see a few metres in front of them but thankfully Doomguy's Auto-map was able to bypass the fog and reveal what was ahead.

So far no enemies, Just dead streets…Somehow that didn't ease the sense of dread they gave off.

"This fog is not of natural phenomena, I theorise might be the effect of a Holy Grail." VEGA said and Doomguy nodded. He has only seen such thick fog in Hell and Argent D'nur.

"Hey…Guys…Can we…Sit down for a bit?" Ritsuka said, feeling exhausted while only walking for ten minutes in a suit that is supposed to reduce physical strain on the body. She was leaning against the wall while breathing heavily

"Are you feeling alright, Master Ritsuka?" VEGA asked.

"Y-Yeah, I guess I didn't get enough- *Cough*" The redhead then started to cough violently before falling over. Doomguy instantly came to her aid before she could bump her head on the cobblestone path. Now in his arms, he starts to see her skin turn pale and blood dripping out of the corners of her mouth.

"Her life signs are dropping! Hold on- It's the fog! I recalibrated my sensors and detected heavy amounts of magical energy. These levels are too much for a human to handle and it's toxic to them!" VEGA's words filled Doomguy with dread, The C.E.S wasn't enough to protect her from such an environment. He should've thought of such hazards when putting the suit together, now she was suffering from his negligence.

"Slayer, I will reroute all of her suit systems, even the shields, to life support. That should hold her over until we can find some assistance." An audible fizzle was heard as Ritsuka's shields shut down to increase her odds on life support. At least that seemed to have helped stabilise her condition yet she was still in grave danger.

"Hostiles detected." VEGA said as mechanical beings started to walk out of the fog and approach them.

"Automatons," VEGA said while scanning them. So far there were two types: A humanoid doll-looking unit and a shorter, more armoured unit with ranged weapons. With that info in mind, Doomguy whips out his chaingun with barrier mod attached. He guns down the aggressors while projecting a defensive shield in front of him to protect his master who was still too weak to even stand up. Bullets ripped through the mechanical drones yet more kept coming. VEGA assists by hovering into the back lines and zaps them with his energy emitters. The attack was strong enough to chain between the enemy units and spread the stunning effects. Allowing his partner to gun them down with ease and end the battle quickly. All that remained was twisted scrap metal and spent bullet casing.

Doomguy returns his focus to his sick master, her state wasn't improving while in this fog.

"While we could enter one of the buildings, we could risk exposing civilians to the fog and automatons." VEGA said.

No way in hell Ritsuka would allow that to happen but what else could he do? Doomguy couldn't let an innocent life die because of him….Not again.

"Slayer, right now her best chance is to either find a way to contact Chaldea or find a servant capable of healing her. With this fog blocking out communications our best option is to split up and search for a servant that isn't contracted with the enemy." VEGA said, willing to do whatever it took to save Ritsuka. As much as Doomguy didn't want to put her fate into the hands of another, what choice did he have right now? Ritsuka was dying in front of him and he couldn't do anything to save her.

The Slayer nods, allowing VEGA to go ahead with his idea.

"I promise to return as soon as I find someone. Please activate your emergency beacon so I can find my way back to you. Keep moving and Avoid any long battles. You need to stay focused or she will die." The AI said and the Doomguy triggered said beacon. VEGA then headed out into the fog in search of someone that could help them in their time of need.

It was only a few minutes since VEGA split away from the Slayer and he was already having difficulties navigating due to the fog thinning out. They must've ray-shifted into heavy pockets, which meant that this was also partially his fault for having this section of the city chosen as the backup.

"Recalibrating…" VEGA figured out that re-adjusting his sensors allowed him to see beyond the fog for a few moments. Still nothing but empty streets stalked by hostile machinery. As he continues his search, he activates his stealth tech to avoid detection by the Automatons.

"Recalibrating…" The AI's thought then wandered to his existence…The gnawing question on how he could exist after realising his true self: The Father, the true God among the dimensions and the leader of the Maykrs.

Yet right now he still felt no different, He was still VEGA: The AI created by the UAC to monitor and run the mars installation.

"Recalibrating…" Mars, Now that was a mess he regretted being part of…He observed the slow corruption of the facility from his module nestled in the martian ice cap. He should've stopped Oliva yet the hardware-bound protocols prevented him from acting against his creators.

All he could do was watch and serve his duties.

"...Who am I?" VEGA said out loud before getting bashed into a wall. He didn't pay attention and an automaton heard him.

"...Oof!" He grunted as his drone body sparked due to damage.

"...Cloak offline. Propulsion system hindered."

He was surrounded, he wandered into a large group of them. All of them looked ready to destroy him. VEGA wasn't built for combat so all he could do was evade and stun these killing machines. His odds weren't looking too good in his current state but he can't give up now. There were lives on the line and he won't let another just let another person when now he has the power to act!

"If there is any servant out there unbound to a master, Please hear my call! One of Humanity's last masters is dying and in dire need of help!" VEGA shouted into the fog as he dodged bullets.

"If she dies then this world will fall into a fate worse than incineration! The very jaws of true hell are aimed at this world and the only thing it fears needs his master to live!" VEGA calls out again with purpose before getting bashed down into the cobblestone ground.

"...Please…I don't want to watch another friend die…" VEGA said as he desperately tried to reboot his propulsion systems while one automaton raised its foot to crush him.

"Well when you put things like that, I guess a shrine maiden like me has to help!" A very familiar voice calls out as the surrounding enemies are suddenly encased in ice. Shortly shattering to bits after a few seconds and VEGA gets himself back up in the air.

"I assume you are the one calling out for help?"

VEGA turns around and blinks a few times…

The pink hair.

The recognizable kimono-like outfit was blue instead of red.

…Yet most of all, the fox tail and ears allowed him to guess with 90 per cent accuracy on her true name.

"You are…"

Doomguy had Ritsuka resting on his lap as they hid atop some scaffolding in an alleyway. His Plasma rifle in hand as he watches the streets below for any threats as they wait for VEGA to come back. A move not part of his repertoire however Doomguy had to avoid combat to avoid losing control of himself.

Ritsuka starts coughing again; he moves so that she doesn't choke on her bodily fluids. The C.E.S was doing its job keeping her alive but he can't imagine the pain she is going through right now.

He takes out Daisy's paw again and holds it tightly.

"...is...that her paw?" Ritsuka asked sickly.

Doomguy tilts his head, surprised that she even had the strength to speak.

"Her name was Daisy…Right?" Ritsuka said.

Doomguy nods…

"She meant a lot to you didn't she?" She asked while resting her head on Dooguy's chest plate.

He nods again as she coughs again, her servant wipes away the blood on her cheeks.

"...I guess we both lost people we care about, eh?" She said solemnly and her servant nodded again before she fell back asleep. Maybe that's why he was able to hear Ritsuka's cries for help in Fuyuki…How he wished he could have his memories back.

His train of thoughts was then interrupted by the feeling of being watched by a sinister presence. He looked down into the streets and saw…

Children?

What are they doing out here? Don't they know the fog will kill them?

"Come down…" One child said.

"We can help her…" Another one appeared from the mist.

"In turn…We can make her our new mommy…" Whatever sense of innocence those children tried to emanate, Doomguy could see past it. No way those are actual kids in a fog or should be killing them on the spot. He just stares down at them with his unwavering determination. Then all the children disappear into the mist at the sight of the man.

"So, you are not going to give her up…You must be like us. Unhindered by the fog." Another voice speaks from the shadows as Doomguy stands up with Ritsuka in his arms.

"I guess then we will have to play a different game!"

Doomguy looks up at the rooftops above and sees another child, A girl in black rags with pale grey hair and yellow-green eyes that pierced through the darkness. She then throws a barrage of daggers at Doomguy with inhuman speed. He quickly jumps off scaffolding and into the open streets. The enemy then jumps down effortlessly, an ever-playful smile still on her face.

"Oh no I missed. Oh well, We will get you eventually. No one gets away from Jack the Ripper" She said.

Doomguy could already guess that this girl was a servant, shocking enough that mere kids could be one as well. However, that wouldn't stop him from defending his master.

He thought of the name "Jack the Ripper." He wasn't a history buff himself but luckily being a servant fills in the blanks when it comes to historical figures. Jack was the infamous murderer of women in the 19th century, a horror that spread all across Europe. It's throwing him off that Jack was a little kid rather than an adult male but monsters come in all shapes and sizes.

He quickly ducks and dashes to the left to dodge a flurry of slashes from little miss murder.

"Fast one I see, But you can't fight back. Not without dropping the girl! Haha!" Jack laughed as she zipped around him. Doomguy activates his sentinel armour to buff up his defence around his master. Much to the frustration of the monster of the mists as he dodges and counters with the flame belch.

Doomguy had enough of this and decided to retreat for his Master's safety, he can't drop Ritsuka off somewhere or Jack will slaughter her. However, the fog somehow got thicker than before and his Auto-map was malfunctioning.

"Oh look! You think you can run! How cute." Jack taunts before appearing from the mists in front of him. The Slayer quickly turns around before Jack could strike at his master.

"Let us have her!" She yells while latching onto his back, slashing at his armour. The murderous child then gets a lucky stab in his neck and started twisting. Doomguy then had enough and lightly dropped Ritsuka to swiftly grab Jack by the neck!

"Hahahah! Oh look you dropped her. What are you gonna do now? Let us go to get rid of that knife in your neck-"

Doomguy then takes the knife out of his neck and crushes to dust in his hand.

"What…?" She then got a sense of a very foreign emotion to her.

Fear.

In her eyes, she could see the seething rage behind the helmet. The amount of hate being projected at her was so immense that she could see two red eyes within the green void of his faceplate.

Jack then disappears into a misty form to free herself. She had enough of playing around and decided to end this. Once cloaking herself in the mists, Jack grabs her daggers in preparation for the final blow.

"This is Hell."

The mists reduced Doomguy's visibility to zero, All he could see was Ritsuka laying on the ground at his feet.

"We are fire. We are rain. We are power…"

Jack's body is consumed in shadows as her eyes turn murderous red…Her target was the girl on the ground. She had the advantage. There was no stopping Jack the Ripper.

"MARIA THE RIPPER!" She shouts as she darts around the fog until she makes her move on the girl.

"She's ours!"

Moving way too fast for the strange man to counterattack, this will end in another victim to Jack the Ripper.

"No."

Impossibly to Jack, her knives didn't reach their target. Instead, she has bashed away and sent into a lantern pole then a parked car rage. She crawls out of the wreckage, stunned and wounded.

Looking forward she could see the man standing over the girl while staring at Jack with Murderous intent…Causing the sensation of fear to spike within her.

"Leave. Now." The man said with a deep voice as the mists around them started to return to the origin state. He then loads two shells into Lucifer's Bane and closes the breach violently as the Meathook burns with flames.

"Or Else…"

"Scary…" Jack then runs away into the alley, yet Doomguy remains with one arm holding Ritsuka and wielding his double-barrel in the other. Minutes go by without any other attack from the enemy servant as Doomguy remains on alert. He wasn't going to let someone he cares about die…He can't…Not again…

Never Again…

Doomguy heard footsteps from behind and without thinking swiftly aimed at whatever was behind him.

"Slayer, It's me, VEGA. You do not need to be alarmed." VEGA said, noticing his partner's very stressed state.

"It's alright. I have found someone that can help Master Ritsuka." The AI expressed calmly. Doomguy took some breaths to settle himself down as he lowered his super shotgun.

Count to 4…Inhale…Count to 4…exhale.

Looking past the AI he sees whom he had brought and was confused for a moment…She looked a lot like Tamamo cat, but more…Calm and refined? The servant approached slowly, respecting the fact that Doomguy must've been through a hell of a fight.

"I am Tamamo-no-Mae. Caster Class. VEGA told me you all met my tail Tamamo Cat." She said Doomguy mulled over the name then realised that she is the original while the one he met before was one of her severed tails that became its being.

Tamamo approached him and kneeled to see the state of the master. Doomguy tensed up the moment she tried to touch her due to him still being on edge.

"...Don't worry, I am not gonna hurt her…I promise" Tamamo said with a very warm smile. After another deep breath, he lowered his guard to allow her to put her hand on Ritsuka's forehead.

"Hmm…Yes, I can heal but first we need to get her out of this fog. Then I will do all I can to get her back on her feet!" She said, looking at Doomguy with a confident look in her eyes, doing her best to ease the worry of the Berserker class servant. Something inside him was telling him to trust her, he sensed absolutely no malice within her actions.

After hearing Ritsuka cough in his arms again, he decided to put his hesitancy aside. The Slayer nods, allowing her to cast a small cleansing spell on Ritsuka which returns some of the colours to her face.

"I believe I have found an area that is free of fog. Follow me." VEGA said and he led the group into the city of mists.

Unknowingly an observer was watching from a safe distance after viewing that fight.

"Fascinating. To think a servant like that could ever exist. To be able to fend off the likes of Jack The Ripper while protecting his master in their arms. All while holding his master in his arms. Truly a skilled warrior from another era far from Chaldea's." A well-dressed gentleman said while lowering his many magnifying glasses.

Knight of Londinium

As the Slayer's group seek refuge from the fog, Mashu and Gudao already found a friendly face at their end of the city. After scrapping a group of automata, a woman in red and silver armour approached them. They ran into her before but she wanted to see if they were her enemy or not. After getting their names, returns in kind after seeing them fight.

"I am Mordred. A Heroic Spirit. And I'm a Knight of the Round Table, here to face the perils of Londinium, a city in Father's beloved britain." The knight servant reveals her true name without any worry at all. Normally that would be a sin in a traditional holy grail war, but that rule was thrown out when the incineration of humanity was started.

"Wow! A Knight of the Round Table. It's an honour to meet your Mordred." Mashu said politely. Mordred was one of the famous knights of the round table that served King Arthur until the sad end of Camelot. It was not much of a shock anymore to see a knight of the round table formerly recorded as a male after seeing it happen so many times. It was pretty much par for the course over at the Chaldea Security organisation.

"T-Thanks. Anyways what's your guy's deal anyways? What brings you to a place like this?" The blonde knight asked while looking at them with her teal-coloured eyes.

"We are from Chaldea and are here to correct this era to save humanity's future." Gudao said.

"Well, I guess that explains why I wasn't summoned to a master. This ain't your normal Holy Grail War any more. Follow me, I'll take you to a place that is out of this fog." Mordred said.

The rebellious knight then led them into a home where a well-dressed blonde schooler lived. He welcomed them in while chastising Mordred for revealing her True Name right at the first conversation as they pretty much give away the entire skill set of a servant.

"...And yet you give out your True-Name at the drop of a hat…" He said with a sigh. Mordred just shrugs and tells him that it's not a normal Holy Grail War anymore while sitting down on one of the sofas while still in her armour. She then asks for some ciders to drink and lucky enough the scholar had some already chilled. He worked as a chemist so he was one of the first adopters of refrigerators so that he can keep some chemicals chilled for experiments.

"Hey what are you two doing? Don't just stand there. Find a place to sit. My home is your home since this is my temporary base" Mordred offered.

Gudao decided to sit down and Mashu followed him but he did have some questions.

"You with the glasses…Can I ask you something?" He asked.

"...Haha. Well, all right, I don't mind. If Saber trusts you, I'm sure we're on the same side. I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Henry Jekyll." The scholar revealed his name which Chaldea instantly related to a famous story of a man with the same name.

"I work in London as a scholar-A scientist. Though not officially a mage, I am familiar with elixirs. One day, all of a sudden, London was blanketed by this fog. It was a nightmare. I was able to figure out that the fog contained magical energy, but was at a loss about what to do." Jekyll explained his first experience with the fog and how he tried to do his best in fixing the problem.

"That's when we met and started working together. He isn't very reliable as a mage, but comes in handy in his own way. I provide the muscle. He investigates and analyses." Mordred added as she sipped her cinder.

Romani was reporting over the comes about Jekyll and how that man might've been the model for the character of the novel: Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Causing some confusion as Mashu struggled to tell if he was human or not.

"I assure you, I am a genuine human. If it's a servant you want, they're outside, investigating." Jekyll re-stated that he was not a servant even after Mashu explained that he shared the same name as the main character of the novel in question.

"Oh! We should've asked this from the start! Have you seen anyone else claiming to be from Chaldea? A Redhead girl and a man in green armour?" Mashu asked, hoping for some info on their friends.

"Hmm…I am afraid not. However, as I mentioned, I do have someone out investigating that has yet to return. Hopefully they will meet up with your friends." Jekyll said but that didn't seem to ease Gudao as he explained that Ritsuka could be in critical condition.

"...An ally of ours is watching out for them, but unlike me, Ritsuka doesn't have any protection from the fog. Mashu is protecting me from it while Doomguy doesn't have the same ability" Gudao said.

"Fou…" the furball commented with a worried tone as he sat down on the couch.

"Doomguy? What kind of name is that?" Mordred asked.

"Doomguy-san is the Ritsuk-Senpai's Berserker Class servant. His True Name is The Doomslayer. He's been helping us since the start of our journey." Mashu then explained Chaldea's goal along with the additional threat of Hell itself.

"...So a singularity and a Demon invasion,huh? I guess that explains those weird creatures I slew a few days ago." Mordred commented.

"One of the seven bolts that were driving into the world. And…The London of this era is one of those bolts." Jekyll said while understanding the situation.

"Yes, and each time we restore an era it also seals off that section of the world from Hell. We need to find the Holy Grail which is most likely the cause of this fog." Gudao said.

"Talk about two-birds-one-stone. Well, If anyone can find your pals, it's Foxtail." Mordred commented.

"Foxtail?" Mashu said while raising an eyebrow.

"Oh Saber means our Caster Class ally. Tamamo-no-Mae who we recently let in our investigation.

"Tamamo-no-mae? As in the fragment of Amaterasu who was hunted down and was sealed away in a stone?...Also, was it just Tamamo-no-mae or did they have some weird addition to the name like Cat or something?" Romani asked over the comms.

"No, I believe she is a genuine person that you said. However, believe you are referring to her tails she severed a long time ago. She mentioned them in passing after I asked what happened to her nine-tailed form." Jekyll explained. This solidifies Tamamo Cat's words about the Tamamo Nine which seemed far-fetched due to the lack of information on the subject.

"Well I hope they run into each other. For Ritsuka sake." Gudao said while gazing through the window and into the mists.

(This Chapter was Beta'd by Darklord331)

AN: Welcome to London! where the fog is thick and the machines are murderous! I wonder if anyone thought about that Mashu's anti-poison/toxin skill having any effect on Ritsuka. Well Sadly no since she's not contracted to her, which causes massive panic and fear in Doomguy. Even with his missing memories, his paternal instincts are still there...

Lluckily a certain fluffy-tailed kitsune showed up earlier than expected!

Yeah, I added Tamamo Earlier because A, I feel like she doesn't get enough love in FGO and B, I am a Tamamo Fanboy As obvious from my previous Fate fic. (Still working on it fella's!) So, expect her to be getting some more action thanks to Doomguy throwing a curveball into the world of FGO. Who doesn't love more Tamamo anyways? Don't worry, Doomguy would have no reason to hate her due to her helping him and his positive experience with Tamamo Cat.

Now, about our little Ripper named Jack. If I was going to have Ritsuka pass out from the fog, you know I had to send Jack after them. Sadly, Doomguy is a walking Reverse Horror movie with The Terrifying Presence perk from Fallout: New Vegas. Doomguy sees jack as nothing more than a monster wearing the face of a child. For now at least...

That is all I have for this chapter and I will see you in the next one!

Have a Nice Day!