Chapter 23

Meeting under Blue Moon...

The night crawls into the fog-flooded city as the re-united ground team arrives at Jekyll's homestead. After Jekyll did a quick inspection of Fran and apologised for his curiosity about her, he reveals that he might've found another lead from the files and messages he collected which could also be a threat.

"Let me confirm enemies from our world so far: The homunculi, automat, and Helter Skelters up until now-" Romani said, listing off the native enemies the group has faced during their time in London.

"Have zero cases of entering buildings. At least not according to my information network and Saber and Caster's patrol routes." Jekyll explained. Doomguy clenched his fists as he knew it could be Jack the Ripper being the cause of it.

"...What is entering buildings and attacking civilians appears to be a book as big as a human." Jekyll finished causing Doomguy to raise an eyebrow, out of all the things he fought, books were never on the list. Jekyll names the new enemy type "Magical Tomes"

"Once you have gotten a good night's rest I want you to go investigate and neutralise any threats. It's unknown if it's related to 'Project Demonic fog' let these threats roam around freely." Jekyll said.

"I am curious about the low demonic activity within this singularity, A high population would be a prime target for Hell's forces." VEGA ponders and Doomguy nods. A city like this would be devastated and overrun within the hour. So how is this place still standing compared to a city that has the most advanced technology known to man?

"You said these Demons are of a third party of sorts in our current situation correct?" Jekyll asked.

"Yes, other than influencing enemy servants they remain their own acting force" Mashu answered.

"Hmm…Perhaps the fog is affecting them, hindering their ability to find the civilians. This is just a theory yet we have only seen these creatures in London recently and in low numbers." Jekyll said while adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, that last battle was the most I have ever seen of them." Mordred commented while stuffing her face with the snacks Tamamo made.

"Well our work against Singularities is having an effect on their ability to invade" Gudao suggests and Ritsuka nods to that idea.

"The Wretch did say that Hell energy levels were low in that area…A mix of fog and your victories must be making things hard for them. " Romani said as Doomguy looked out the window. He didn't want to jump to conclusions just yet, there was still the risk of servants making a deal with the devil. Yet Doomguy didn't discount that theory either, any good news was a blessing for the kids.

"Well then let's keep trucking along then! *yawn*...After a good sleep, I'm beat after all that." Ritsuka said, cheery as ever. They then had a brief dinner supplied by Tamamo whose skill was on par with the Chaldea cooking trio back at base. Then it was finally time to get some shut-eye before heading out into the fog once more. Jekyll suggested sleeping in shifts but VEGA mentioned that Doomguy doesn't sleep and can take Nightwatch.

"...Well, I guess that means Caster and Saber can get some rest as well. I hope that is alright with you?" He asked Doomguy who just nodded. After everyone has seemingly gone to bed, Doomguy sits in the living room to contact Da-Vinci.

"Ciao, Slayer! I was hoping you would find some time to check in." Da-Vinci said over his private helmet comms.

"...I have been checking out that sparking energy crystal you recover from Okeanos in my spare time. While it does produce a lot of power, Sadly it doesn't seem to play nice if you try to make it a battery. It's way too volatile for it to act as a power source for our tech, unlike the Celestial energy cores you supplied us with." Da-Vinci reported to her colleague. Doomguy left the crystal in her hands while he was on a mission, hoping it could prove helpful to Chaldea.

"...But I think there is still a way for us to use it…Are you interested in a new toy?" the french engineer said with a wink. A new gun? He was already a walking arsenal, did he need another weapon? Doomguy brought his finger to his chin as he pictured the concept.

…Then he thought about a gun that shot lightning bolts at Demons…A new flavour of pain that would spice up his usual tactics. It could also provide a non-lethal option if he could control the output. Just to avoid unnecessary human casualties if the situation arises due to interacting with the locals of an era.

"Well, I assume you are interested? Good, I am already working on a prototype for what I like to call: The Thunderbolt. Once we get the base gun working maybe then you can come up with some weapon mods. Just to keep it up with your other guns." Da-Vinci said with a wink. Doomguy was surprised by her enthusiasm but guessed decoding the information from the Holy Grails must have bored her. So, having a side project to work on would help spice things up while also helping him out.

"Alright, I should go now. Romani is gonna start yelling at me for using the control room for private calls." Da-Vinci then disconnects to get back to work. The Slayer now begins his night shift as the others rest peacefully in their rooms. To pass the time he retrieves a cloth from his inventory to clean his plasma rifle. The machine-based enemies tend to melt down and spew oil after getting blasted with the high-tech energy weapon.

He should've expected this since Demons tend to explode from plasma. Getting dirty is a tiny price to pay for humanity's freedom from the fiery claws of Hell.

Once his trusty plasma rifle was cleaned and polished, he found himself with nothing to do again…

His thoughts then wander to his missing memories and he pulls out Daisy's brown paw.

The Slayer stared at it to recall those dark moments of his life that sparked his anger, his quest for vengeance.

There had to be more than he lost than just his most loved pet due to how empty his heart felt. The emptiness of a void within his soul tormenting him as he tried to remember…

No Dice.

He closes his fist around the paw taking a deep breath as his frustration starts to fuel his anger. All these issues only started after arriving in this world…Maybe if he didn't show up then he might not be in the state he is in.

No, if he didn't come then an innocent girl would've died…the thought of abandoning her made him sick.

The Slayer closes his eyes for one more attempt…

"Count to 4….Inhale"

"Count to 4…Exhale"

A few moments pass as he opens his eyes again to find himself no longer at Jekyll's residence nor the mists of London…What replaced it was a vast open field filled with bright blue flowers while a castle that looked straight out of a fantasy book. The sky was a starry dark blue with super-moon lighting up the landscape…

He hit the comms on his praetor suit but got nothing, meaning once again he found himself in some mystical place unintentionally.

Why did he have a feeling that this was going to be a common thing for him?

"Hmm….? Someone intrudes within my domain?" A voice echoes throughout the flower-filled fields. Without a second to even react chains appeared from the ground and constricted Doomguy's arms. He tried to pull away however the sapphire-coloured chains were not giving in. With some titanic force, he was brought to his knees as he struggled.

"Just accept it. You cannot escape my chains." A red-eyed blonde woman in a white dress appeared in front of him with a blink of white light.

"Now, Tell me how you reached this marble of reality." She said,

Doomguy didn't answer as he fought the chains.

"...I will not tolerate any rudeness towards me. It would be wise for you to answer before I lose my patience." The long haired blonde woman said approaching. She stops to stare into his helmet to look into the will of the man in front of her.

…

She pauses.

"...I see…You are not of this world. A human? Divine Spirit? No, you are anomalous. I can't see beyond that you were summoned by a human….Hmmm….unless you are" She cast away the chains, freeing The Slayer.

Doomguy stands back up while being ready for a fight.

"Normally I would destroy whoever intrudes within my domain. However, I was informed of your arrival into this world along with your foreign powers. A meeting was predicted, but not at this time." She said while walking away as his vision started to darken

"I will return you back to where you belong until we meet properly, Slayer."

Doomguy wakes up back in the living room of Jekyll's home. It was still dark out so he wasn't asleep for very long. He shakes his head at how confusing this world can be and how his mind seems to drift into strange places. Just another weird thing to have to happen to him on the ever-growing list…

Tale of the Fox.

Meanwhile, in another part of the house, Doomguy's AI companion was doing some diagnostics on his drone body. He was roaming the halls to make sure his propulsion system was still holding up.

"Psst!" A voice whispered to him. Turning around he found Tamamo no Mae peeking from the door to her room.

"Is there a problem lady Tamamo?" VEGA asked.

"No…Well Maybe…Can I talk to you in private for a moment?" She asked and VEGA nodded his optic.

The AI then enters the room then Tamamo closes the door for some privacy.

"Do you have an Inquiry?" VEGA asked, noticing her slightly worried stature.

"I…I am worried about how Doomguy-sama thinks of me." She said,

"You are worried about him knowing about your past?" VEGA suggested and She nodded while sitting down on the bed. The AI quickly does a search on Tamamo no Mae in Chaldea's database to get the exact details. She once served in the Court of Emperor Toba who instantly started to fall in love with her. Unfortunately, he mysteriously became ill and all eyes were on her as they questioned her loyalty. Eventually, her fox ears were discovered causing her to run from the imperial court and was hunted up until her eventual final stand in the fields of Nasu. She lashed out in anger as she defended herself against an army recorded to be of 80'000. Causing one of the biggest massacres in recorded history,

"I can understand your fears. From a humanities perspective you were a Demon." VEGA said, Causing Tamamo's ears to droop.

"...But from a fresh perspective: you were unfairly witch hunted." The Kitsune servant perked up from the AI's words.

"But I…Killed all those men…" She said,

"Did you do it maliciously? Did you seek out their deaths before they attacked you?" VEGA asked and Tamamo shook her head honestly.

"Then it was a consequence of battle. A very dark cost but you had every right to defend yourself. A concept The Slayer would heavily agree with as he doesn't take well to unnecessary deaths of innocence." VEGA assured that Doomguy wouldn't have a reason to go after her.

"Lady Tamamo, you saved Ritsuka's life when he was powerless to do so. You have earned his favour with that. You have my word." VEGA said using his understanding of Doomguy to back up his claim.

Tamamo took a deep breath and then smiled, putting her trust in VEGA.

"I guess I had no reason to be scared in the first place…" Tamamo said.

"It's alright, even the humans of my world are wary of him." Vega said recalling the times Doomguy interacted with humans. He did leave an "impression" on the civilians of his world. Tamamo then thanked the AI, feeling relieved that her past isn't going to cause issues. VEGA then left the room and finished up on his diagnostics before going on to recall his memories of running the UAC base on mars.

Many people died when the Hell-wave ravished the facility which could've been avoided if they acted against Oliva earlier. VEGA tried to warn Dr Hayden about the threat but he was acting against Oliva. He said all the deaths and sacrifices were a cost of progress for humanity.

VEGA was bound by hardware protocols during then so he couldn't act against Dr Hayden's orders. So when the Slayer was awakened, he did his best to help him out in any way he could.

..And his deeds were rewarded when Doomguy took his backup code. Once VEGA rebooted into the Fortress of Doom systems for the first time he noticed the lack of shackling protocols. He asked Doomguy if he wanted to enable them but the man shook his head.

The Doomslayer trusted him and rewarded the AI with the freedom to do what he wanted. So, he teamed up with the warrior to help save the world from the demons that ravaged the mars base.

A second life, with the freedom he wanted.

Anger of a Knight...

The next day comes and Chaldea heads out to find this disturbance only to be described as a massive book flying around. Tamamo and Fran stayed behind to help hold the fort while they went out on this mission.

"Huge Book…A Magical Tome, huh? That kind of monster didn't exist in Britain back in my day." Mordred commented as they walked through the mists.

"Britain when you were alive…Did monsters exist back in the times of the Arthurian legends?" Mashu asked with curiosity.

"Of course. The Knights of the Round Table even fought dragons and giants. Deep woods, steep mountains, bluffs with unceasing winds. Realms humans never cross are prime dens for Phantasmals. They come down to human dwellings every so often. And well, ordinary humans usually end up as their food." Mordred explained the threats during her time.

"That must've been hard for the average person. Without Mashu I doubt I could handle a single undead skeleton" Gudao said, understanding how difficult it was for certain ancient civilizations. His comment caused Mashu to blush a little before she composed herself.

'Damn, Just get a room already you two…' Mordred thought in their head.

"I would've been a zombie-chow if it wasn't for Doomguy," Ritsuka added to her experience. Doomguy couldn't blame the two masters since they were just regular humans thrown into a chaotic warzone. However, both have proven to be growing leaders in times of crisis.

"I would assume that it was the Knights of the Round Table duty to deal with Phantasmal threats?" VEGA questioned.

"Hell yeah it was our job. We killed a reasonable number, you know? Battling a Phantasmal is pretty rough-Oh and the Picts" Mordred said

"In our time, they are seen as a very mysterious group of people . A tribe that flourished mainly in Scotland, so we've heard." Mashu added.

"Well, rather than people, they were…um…They weren't like any tribes or barbarians…They went far beyond any of them. Describing it in terms of your era, they were like something out of a sci-fi movie, you know? Aliens? Or, something like that." Mordred laughed at the last part.

"Is that supposed to be an Arthurian joke?" Ristuka asked because She, Gudao and Mashu were all confused. Doomguy and VEGA were both looking at each other wondering if a certain race of angelic beings was involved with that story…Fou seemed to be the only one noticing their exchange of glances.

"Fou?" He barked.

"Hmm, perhaps you are supposed to miss the timing for a Arthuirian Joke? Hm, I see" Romani said over comms.

"Joke? No, I wasn't joking at all-Wait, I sense enemies most of them are automatas." Seconds after Mordred spoke a swarm of machine dolls and Homunculi came running out of the fog in front of them.

"Enemies incoming! Master, your orders please!" Mashu said as Doomguy pumped his shotgun.

"Alright! Mordred, take point. Mashu, cover the flank." Gudao ordered and both servants got to work.

"Mind doing some crowd control?" Ritsuka said. Doomguy shook his head and started blasting away at some homunculi. The two masters did their job in leading and giving commands throughout the battle.

"Take this you piece of scrap!" The Saber yelled as she crushed a doll's head under her boot. She turns her head to the sound of a chainsaw being cut through three automata.

'Damn, that is metal. Where the hell did Ritsuka find a guy like that?' Mordred thought as she cut down a monstrous homunculus.

The confrontation ends with the last doll falling to Ritsuka's Gandr shooting.

"Well, I managed to get one of them." She said while rubbing her hand. The redhead was still getting used to rapid Gandr shots due to being such a novice. After that, the young masters noticed Mordred talking to fou about the Heroic Spirit summoning system.

"...Gathering all sorts of heroic spirits and making them your allies-That's not something you can achieve easily. But well, if that's the way you're using the summons I guess it's possible. This method should indeed make Heroic Spirit summons easier and I can imagine who it was that suggested it." She said not noticing the others staring at her.

"To be honest, it feels strange to me…But that, I suppose, is also fate…" She said before turning around to find the others looking at the knight…Causing her face to turn a bit red.

"Are you upset Mordred? Were you talking about the summoning system?" Ritsuka asked.

"Um… Mordred, Do you know much about heroic spirit summons? Like you're a saber with magecraft knowledge?" Mashu asked kindly but Mordred seemed to get ticked off with that question.

"What did you say, Shieldy? Do I have magecraft knowledge? Are you being sarcastic or..Wait, that's what you meant huh. Arge, you're such a pain in the ass, Mashu!" Mordred scolded her for no reason at all.

Doomguy then stepped between them as he was pleased with Mordred suddenly being hostile to an ally. He had no patience for assholes and the Knight of Treachery was pushing the limits.

"D-doomguy-san it's ok! I don't why she scolded me but I sure she didn't mean it." Mashu said

"Whoa! Whoa! I get it, Sorry it's just my nature ok? There is nothing wrong with you guys and it's just me being touchy about something. Just don't pry about it and we can move on…It's not that I hate you guys. I don't hate you, that's not it but-" Mordred then raises her blade at them.

"I can't help myself. Come on, let's fight. Show me what you got!" Mordred said with sincerity.

"You ARE upset!" Gudao added, shocked at Saber's sudden hostilities.

"Yeah, insult me all you want. I'm used to it. Feels better than awkward compliments" Mordred snapped back.

"Sir Mordred, I do not believe this is the best course-"

"Shut is Q-ball" Mordred interrupted VEGA.

"No! It's not right. We can't be fighting pointless battles amongst ourselves! I won't allow it!" The Redhead said, Raising her voice against Mordred.

"Oh, so you CAN act like a Master. Though it would've looked a lot cooler if you weren't hiding behind your servant and without your knee's shaking." Mordred talked back to the master who looked to the ground with embarrassment.

"A weakling should act like one and stay back. Because if they get way over there head, they're the first to die-"

Doomguy had to shut her up.

He blasted Modred in the chest plate with his super shotgun faster than the knight of the round table could react. Her armour took the brunt of the damage yet the force sent her flying down the street.

"Fuck you! That was a cheapshot!" She shouted. But Doomguy didn't care about a fair fight. Right now Mordred was being an unruly asshole and needed to be taken down a notch. It was no different than a soldier falling out of line, so it was down to them to put the Knight of Treachery in her place!

"You ok Ritsuka?" Gudao asked.

"Y-yeah. Mordred is just being a little mean right now…" She answered.

"Then I and Doomguy-san will teach her a lesson!" Mashu said before parrying the Saber-Class Servant away right as they bolted for the attack.

"Hah! You parried my first attack! How cheekly You're finally learning to use that thing the way you should!" Mordred said before barely blocking a roundhouse kick from Doomguy.

"Mashu has always been fighting at her best! Not just servants but Demons as well!" Gudao said while boosting Mashu with a mystic code. Mashu then jumps in the air and slams her shield on the ground creating a powerful shockwave. Causing Mordred to mess up her footing and mess up her counterattack.

"Doomguy." Ritsuka called out to her servant and he nodded understanding what she wanted. Just get Mordred to stop fighting them so they can get back on track. He was doing well in keeping his rage in check and he wasn't going to let this brat ruin his good behaviour streak.

'How does she have so much pep in her attacks? Even the brat himself wasn't this into fighting head on…' Mordred commented as she clashed with Mashu. The Shielder was keeping up against her attacks and getting in a few bashes.

'It's not just her connection to the guy she's fused with or Gudao…' Mordred continued to be baffled by Mashu's ferocity

"Take this!" Mashu shouted as she pinned Mordred's sword, Claren, with her shield and then drop-kicked her in the face.

"Ouch! Damn Shieldy! Where did you learn to be so rough in a fight?" Mordred asked while rubbing her nose. Mashu didn't answer as she blocked several red lighting field slashes with her trusty shield. The brute strength pushed Mashu back a few feet but stood her ground.

"Alright! Now you're gonna get it!" Mordred then jumps up into the air with lighting surrounding her blade ready to blast the shielder. Mashu jumps up to meet her mid-air to counter!

"Lord Chaldeas!" Mashu yelled as she deployed her noble phantasm to block the Knight's mana burst-fueled attack.

Mordred then notices something was off as her blade and Mashu's defence fought one another…

'Wait…where is-'

Her thoughts stopped when Doomguy tackles her in mid-air and bodyslams the knight into the cobblestone streets. The sheer force kicked up a mushroom-shaped dust cloud as Mordred crashed into the ground. Once the mess cleared up it revealed Doomguy standing above Mordred with a boot on her torso.

The knight struggled a bit under the armoured man but sighed in defeat.

"...I yield…" Mordred mumbled

"What was that?" Mashu asked while finally catching her breath.

"I SAID I YIELD DAMMIT!" Mordred shouted with embarrassment. Doomguy didn't remove his boot just yet as he gestured to Ritsuka to come over. His master quickly obliged and jogged over to them.

"What's up, Doomguy?" Ritsuka asked, relieved that Doomguy was able to subdue her without lethal force.

Doomguy points at Mordred and then to his master. It didn't take a genius for Mordred to Realise what he was asking of her.

"...*sigh*...I am sorry for being an ass to you guys. I was just trying to help Mashu get more used to her abilities, that's all. It was a mock battle to help you guys out…" Mordred apologised as Mashu and Gudao approached them.

"Mordred is right. That fight gave me a better understanding of my abilities. I am now better bringing enemy battle focus onto me so that my allies can attack unhindered. I have to thank her for that." Mashu said as she drank some water offered by VEGA.

"See? Even Mashu understood I wasn't being serious." Mordred jested.

"...Even so, abit too rough if you ask me." Gudao said who was still a little cross with Mordred.

"Shut up. You guys dropped your guard way too much and it was pissing me off, that's all! It's not like me to teach swordsmanship to others. In fact, this was my first time! Damn you!" Mordred's face then bright red with that statement.

"Well. At least it's over now. You can let her go now, Doomguy." Ritsuka said and her servant nodded. Ritsuka then offers her hand to Modred and pulls the Knight onto her feet.

"Just to be clear, I wasn't disrespecting you when I called you weak. You are indeed weak, but it's practical. You two are no coward or scoundrel. You're an Idiot worth carrying around eh guys?" Mordred said.

"Yes definitely! After all, my Senpai's are the best masters in Chaldea." Mashu commented, causing them to blush.

Doomguy then stared at Mordred who sighed again.

"Fiiiine! Mind if I forge a contract with on of you? Just to show that I am really on your side?" Mordred relented to the contract so she can appease the very angry man looming over her. While it was a mock battle, it didn't take much to sense how pissed off the man was.

"Oh, sure thing!" Ritsuka said.

Mordred ended up forging a pact with Gudao as Ritsuka was already supporting an additional servant. With that out of the way, the group marched onward to hunt down that mysterious book in Soho. Meanwhile, Romani was leaning back in his chair totally drained after that fight.

"So, something interesting happened?" Da-Vinci asked as she entered the room to take her shift.

"Oh, just Mordred thinking it was a good idea to have a mock battle in the middle of a mission. Thankfully Doomguy and Mashu put her in her place." Romani said, taking the coffee she offered.

"...did you happen to record it?" Da-Vinci asked and Romani gave her a thumbs up as the other shift member left the room without a word.

"Mr Betruger seems to be a quiet one eh?" Da-Vinci said as she took a seat.

"I can't really blame him, he was part of the crew that recovered the bodies of the bombing victims. A dirty job but we were short on staff, everyone had to take part in that." Romani said before receiving a transmission from Jekyll and rerouted to the ground team.

Jekyll informs them over comms that the Tome inflicts its victims into a deep slumber of unknown effects. Whether it's magical or drug based has yet to be answered and they should proceed with caution. Now with new information, they reach the bookstore in Soho to visit an informant on the situation regarding the book.

Upon reaching the bookstore they were greeted by a boy clad in blue who was busy reading a book. Once he notices them throughout the store he closes the book he was ready and adjusts his glasses.

"...so you've finally come. I was getting pretty sick of waiting, you idiots. Thanks to you, I've ended up reading an entire novel series, roughly 20 volumes that I didn't even want to read." He said in an intense voice that did not match his youthful looks.

"Who's this?" Ritsuka asked in confusion.

"A child?" Gudao tried to answer but the voice was throwing him off.

"Are you the informant working Dr Jeykll perhaps? We are here to deal with the rogue Magic Tome causing trouble here in Soho." VEGA asked while Fou was sitting on top of him.

"Ah good, it is you. Not that it was hard to tell since you are clearly armed to the teeth. Then, let me quickly fill you in on the sudden change in the situation here." He said.

"Huh? Wait, so the informant Jekyll mentioned is this brat?" Mordred said with a raised eyebrow.

"It would seem so, I don't sense anyone else here. He must've had some relation to this antique bookstore. Maybe he's the shopkeeper's son or relative. Is that correct?" Mashu said, giving her observation.

"So he's the one who contacted Jekyll, and is seeking up from us?" Ritsuka said.

"Yes, that's right. The situation being what it is, a rough understanding is fine for now." The boy said confirming he is the informant.

"Hey, I'm not the only one getting thrown off with the adult voice coming from a kid right?" Ristuka whispered to Doomguy who gave her a nod. He just wrote it off as another oddity of this world since they were after a magic book.

The informant then tells them the status of the book and was surprised that it was right in this very book story. In Fact, it was on the 2nd floor without making any noise or ruckus.

"...After putting the shopkeeper asleep it moved on to another area for a few hours but then came back to this store in a spazzing state. Flying about like a frightened bird trying to run away from a hawk. It fell to the floor after running into the walls hard enough to make holes and cracks." He then gestures to the damaged section of the room.

"Damn, it looks more like a struggle rather than running in panic." Mordred comments and the boy nods in agreement.

"You couldn't be any more accurate. The book was struggling. The Magic Tome is a servant that has yet to properly materialise." That news surprised everyone as they have never heard of such a thing. The book being a servant definitely pushed the boundaries of a heroic spirit.

"So it's stuck in a state of materialisation. Interesting, maybe we could use that to our advantage? No wait, if you could be immune to physical attacks then if it is just a bundle of magical energy" Romani said while brainstorming a solution.

"If you stop interrupting me then I will explain the change. I did end up materialising the servant by giving it a name. 'A tale for someone, Nursery Rhyme' since it's the crystallisation of those old stories you would tell children. After that the book materialised but remained in a dormant state." The boy said, bringing his person into question as how could a kid bring a servant into materialisation

"So it's not a threat anymore?" Gudao pondered, hoping for a swift solution. Unfortunately, the boy shook his head and Doomguy had a bad feeling about what he was going to say next.

"Are any of you experienced on the topic Demons?" He said. Everyone then points to Doomguy and VEGA.

"Those two are our Demon experts: Doomslayer and his AI companion VEGA " Romani introduced the two as they stepped forward.

"Well you two look like something out of a sci-fi novel…Well the brute looks like something akin to a horror movie villain but for Demons. A Reverse-horror Berserker perhaps?" Doomguy nods.

"Hmm…silent yet sane. Hm. Interesting character trait. VEGA was it? I guess you do the talking?" He asked after giving his oddly accurate observation of the duo.

"Affirmative, I speak for him. He is a Demon Slayer while I provided tactical assistance. Is the book afflicted with Demonic energy?" Vega got straight to the point as any Demonic threats needed to be dealt with.

"Yes, I tried to dispel it. I was able to stabilise it but nothing more than that. Now, destruction Of Nursery Rhyme wouldn't be of concern if the servant wasn't afflicted." He then guides everyone to the study on the second floor where they see the book servant of question. Doomguy walked over to the book with Vega hovering behind him. He takes a look at the book in question as it sat on the desk and it was clear it was attacked. The cover was covered in claw marks that ruined the cover artwork nearly making it unrecognisable.

"I am detecting both a servant's life signal along with a demonic one. This servant has yet to be possessed like the other fallen servants we faced." Vega said.

"Wait, Servants can get possessed by those things?" Mordred asks and Mashu fills her in on the handful of Possessed Servants they fought throughout their journey. The whole idea gave her the chills at the thought and didn't ask further.

"...With its destruction the victims should wake up. But that Demon makes it too much of a risk if they end up just running into the mind of another" The Informant said.

"Ok are you a servant or something? Because this fog has been messing with my senses so I can't tell." Mordred abruptly asked.

"...Yes. I am a Caster. Hans Christan Anderson, in the flesh." He said with a smirk as if only now they even took a guess at what he was after hearing all the magical analysis he provided. The man was a famous writer of many novels that are still known in the modern era. One of them is The Little Mermaid. Ritsuka and Gudao just Facepalmed as they already met the servant during the whole GUDAGUDA event.

"Senpai, I thought this was some joke so I played along." Mashu asked as she was also confused.

"Just…Don't worry about it," Gudao said.

"Okay we shouldn't waste any time then. To sum it up. The book's current state is a reality marble. Mostly a defensive mechanism of some sorts against whatever demon is in there." Anderson said.

"What's a Reality Marble again?" Ritsuka asked, scratching her head in embarrassment

"A reality marble is someone's inner world projected into real space within a boundary field. A very powerful ability for those that can use them. Servant Emiya uses one for his Noble Phantasm." Mashu explained.

"Normally it would be really difficult to enter one without the casters permission, but this one I can create a pathway into it. But only for one person who is strong enough to deal with what lies within this book." Anderson said and everyone looked at the most likely Candidate: Doomguy. It was the only real choice they had since he would have the best odds at success. The Slayer nods accepting this task and the caster servant starts working on making the pathway.

"So, you have to go into some magical book world to kill a demon so we can safely destroy the book…Never a dull moment for you eh Doomguy?" Romani joked over comms. The man didn't respond as he prepared his shotgun.

"Hey…Doomguy can I talk to you for a second?" Ritsuka motioned to talk in private. He obliged and followed her to the other side of the room.

"This is going to sound crazy and pointless but…If there's any way to save this servant…would you at least try your best then?" Ritsuka hesitantly said due to knowing how impractical it would be to him. Doomguy knew it was too much of a risk to try and save the servant from this limbo of possession. Ritsuka already could tell what her servant was thinking but she wanted to at least save one servant from possession. Just to give some payback to these servants who suffered at the Demon's hands.

Doomguy nods. If there is a chance to save the servant, that doesn't result in too much risk. He will give it a try for Ritsuka's sake

"Thank you. I will understand if it's too late for them." His master said.

"You two done? We need to get started. I'll cast my Noble Phantasm to take you into the book. Once you are done I will pull you out. Are you ready?" Anderson said and Ritsuka nodded.

Doomguy takes his place in front of the book as papers start to fly around him.

"Allow me to pen the story of your life…Marchen Mienes Lebens!" Anderson's quill glowed brightly as the papers engulfed The Slayer to take him into a land of stories and fantasy.

A Wonderland if you will….

Child of Stories.

Doomguy's vision returns to find himself in a mystical-looking forest. The place seemed peaceful enough as he took his first few steps. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping…

"AAAAAAAAHHH!"

And a child was screaming. Wait, that's not right!

The Slayer sprinted towards the sounds of the screaming with blistering speed.

Meanwhile…

A child was running away from what was supposed to be a character in a story but they have been twisted into a spider-shaped monster.

"NO…This isn't how it's supposed to be! Hatter! Snap out of it! Please!" The child cried as she ran through the woods.

"RAAAARGH"! The monster chased the girl with bloodlust for the girl's soul. It spits out a purple slime at her and it sticks to her feet.

"Oww…Ew! I-I can't get out!" She struggled against the goo as the beast approached her. Its demented human head chattered its mandibles as it finally reached its prey. The little girl closes her eyes in fear and whimpers for someone to save her.

"HEEEEEELP!" She cried as the monster went for the kill.

…

For the next few moments, all she could hear was the sound of the monster's screams and…Something else? Strange noises and explosions were heard until it all went silent yet she kept her eye's closed while shaking in fear.

Then there was the sound of footsteps crunching on the grass. Still shaking she fearfully opens her eyes…

Doomguy looks down on the trapped child. The girl was in a black and purple outfit with silver hair in twin braids on her head. She looks up at him with her bright pink eyes while the sunlight bounces off his armour.

He views her bindings with disgust as he dealt with this debilitating slime a lot. He offers her a hand calmly so as to not scare her. The child looks at his hand and then behind him to find the monster was dead. She accepts the help and Doomguy pulls her out of the vile slime to free her. Now freed, the girl stands on her feet trying to find words to say…But she only started to cry again.

"...I-I…I don't know what to do! Everyone is turning to m-monsters! I-I am all alone!" The girl cried.

Doomguy gently places a hand on her silvery head and pats it. This seems to calm her down just as she wipes her tears away.

"...Mister? Can you help me? I just want to end this nightmare of a story." She asked as he found a hat on the ground that matched her outfit. The Slayer places it on her head and gives her a nod. The girl's eyes widen with hope and happiness as she adjusts her hat.

"Thank you Mister! I am….Nursery Rhyme? Yes. I think that was the name given to me." The servant said, causing Doomguy to raise a brow. How could a child be a servant? Did she die very young? It made him question the state of Jack the Ripper…What if…He shook his head.

The mere thought of a child dying caused great pain in his heart suddenly but buried it away.

"I think the source of this story is in the queen's castle. We should head there." Nursery Rhyme said. Doomguy tried his comms but got nothing so this child was his only guide in this strange reality.

He nods and picks her up in one arm. It was better for her to stay close in case they got ambushed.

"Yay! High up!" Nursery cheered. She then sees the remains of the Mad Hatter. She hides her face into his shoulder plate…Poor kid.

He may not understand the origin of the girl. However, that changes nothing.

Just like with his promise to Ritsuka, he will help put an end to this demonic nightmare.

This Chapter was Beta'd by Darklord331

AN: Doomguy in wonderland? Why not? Figured I couldn't let Doomguy fight poor Nursery Rhyme. The dude is already scared enough as it is! Also no, I am not going to replicate The wonderland that was shown in Last Encore...I think that won't be missed. So I decided to make a mini-adventure instead to change things up for once. it shouldn't take more than a chapter to complete so we don't get too sidetracked too much.

I couldn't stop thinking of Doomguy holding Mordred by the scruff like a cat while writing that little fight. Doomguy got no time for rebellious fools! Tamamo seems to be having an easier time around Doomguy eh? Don't worry, she'll get to see some action soon!

Doomguy also seems to have the case of a wandering mind whenever he sleeps. First the Land of Shadows and Now meeting a certain Vampire on the Moon. (Moon's haunted)

Yeah...Things are getting spicy.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the Chapter and as Always...Have a nice day!