A/N Hey guys, welcome to the next chapter and you be interested to know that I'm going to have Shirou and Doug travel into the wilderness and stay there for a few days so that Shirou can train him on how to use his godly abilities and have the two of them bond while they're out there, also developing their feelings for each other while I'm at it so this might take more than one chapter until I continue the events of episode 9.

Once I'm done with that, I'm going to be adding the events of the manga to the story since I recently found it and became interested in using it in the story so without further ado, enjoy.


After I was done thinking about what Shirou told me, I headed back inside and spent some time in my room trying to wrap my head around what happened earlier today while I looked down at my hands and clenched them a few times.

I was an immortal silver wolf just like Shirou but unlike Nazuna, who wasn't immortal and was pretending to be one, I had somehow become an actual wolf god through means unknown and the thought of how it might've happened caused chills to run down my spine since there was only one possible way I could've gotten this power and the thought of it made me sick to my stomach.

Still, night had fallen and I went to get some sleep for tomorrow but once I got up in the morning and got dressed, Shirou had come into my room and tossed me a backpack before telling me to grab the essentials and that I was coming with him for a few days until he left my room.

To say that I was confused was an understatement, especially considering that it was still dawn but I could tell Shirou was dead serious about whatever he had planned based on his stern voice so, after packing a few clothes and basic supplies, I met up with the wolf beastman on the roof and then he looked up pointedly at the largest of the mountains lining the landscape behind the city, the morning sun shining on its snowy peak and making it sparkle with golden and rosy hues.

"That's where we need to go, that area right behind that mountain," Shirou told me as he pointed at where our destination is.

"Isn't everyone going to wonder where we're at while we're gone?" I questioned and Shirou looked at me.

"I already cleared it with the mayor yesterday and I briefly woke up Michiru earlier to let her know that we'll be gone for a few days so she knows that we won't be back for a while," Shirou informed me and I nodded.

"Okay, so how will we get there? I don't exactly know where we're going," I pointed out and Shirou sent me an expression of piercing resolve in those ancient icy blue eyes of his.

"I know where we need to go so I will guide you," Shirou replied and I scratched the back of my head.

"Okay, if you say so," I said with a look of uncertainty and Shirou's expression softened.

"Hey, do you trust me?" Shirou asked and I was taken aback by the question but I thought about my answer and sent him a nod.

"Yes, I do," I answered with a look of complete seriousness.

With that said, we started making our way across the city and entered the forest soon after, hopping across trees like what was shown in one anime I watched when I was younger and we moved pretty fast to our intended destination so if anyone were to see us right now, we would look like nothing but blurs to them.

"There's a river nearby, it'll lead to a small clearing," Shirou informed me after traveling through the woods for about an hour and I sent him a nod to let him know I was listening.

It didn't take long until we found the river and we started following it, passing by trees for a short amount of time when we eventually arrived at a small secluded clearing and Shirou hopped down from his branch with a grunt, then I did the same until I started feeling dizzy and was forced to rest my hands on my knees while I breathed heavily.

"Are you alright?" Shirou asked as I heard him walk over to check on me.

"Y-Yeah, just give me a minute," I groaned and then Shirou frowned.

"You probably shouldn't have skipped breakfast because this is what happens when you do," Shirou told me dryly with a disgruntled huff, making me roll my eyes.

Still, I knew that he was right and that was why I didn't argue with him because my time in the army had taught me that I should've known better than to go through an intense activity on an empty stomach, though it took a few minutes for me to feel well enough to stand up straight and I was able to take my first proper look at the location we were in now that my dizziness was mostly gone.

"Why are we here, Shirou?" I asked as I looked to my left, where the wolf beastman had crouched to stuff his tan trench coat into his backpack and after fiddling with the bag's contents for a moment, he produced two apples and tossed them at me, which I caught thanks to my quick reflexes.

"There, these should keep you from passing out for a while since we have a long walk ahead of us," Shirou grumbled, zipping his bag closed before standing up.

"This isn't where you wanted to take me?" I inquired and Shirou shook his head.

"No, this isn't the right place," Shirou told me and after putting on the backpack, he pointed at a spot much higher and further away on the rising mountainside where a soft cloudy mist obscured the sloping woods.

"That is where we need to go," Shirou clarified and I was completely surprised by that.

"Damn, you weren't kidding when you said that we have a long walk to go but why didn't you tell me earlier?" I questioned and Shirou simply sent me an impassive and emotionless expression.

"I have my reasons, but mostly because the place I'm taking you is...important and I didn't want to risk leading anyone straight to it so this forest is too dense for anyone to follow us from above," Shirou said cryptically as he turned around and started walking towards the trees, making me follow him.

"I suppose that would make sense but do you really think anyone will follow us out here?" I questioned as I started scanning the area just in case.

"We can never be too careful out here," Shirou stated as we stepped over a couple of slippery mossy rocks.

"Good point, though I haven't gone hiking for a while so I'm a little rusty," I said and Shirou sent me a curious glance.

"You went out hiking before?" Shirou asked and I nodded.

"Yeah, my aunt and uncle would take me out hiking from time to time when I was a kid, mostly to try and take my mind off of...well...you know," I explained hesitantly, then Shirou gave me a silent respectful nod and we continued forward in silence for a while as I munched on one of the apples.

I don't know why Shirou was bringing me to that location on the mountain and every time I asked, he would mostly be vague or would grunt in response so it was a little annoying that he was being so secretive about it but I eventually gave up and just continued to follow Shirou while we trekked through the dense foliage.

However, there was a positive side to the silence since the lack of conversation allowed me to drift my attention to our surroundings, my training letting me tune my senses with the environment as the symphony of chirping songbirds, the earthy scents carried by the breeze, and the feeling of mossy bark under my palms made me slowly take in every small detail, reading the forest little by little.

As time went by, I would sometimes take a sip from my water bottle while I was astonished that I was hardly breaking a sweat as the long trek wasn't even affecting me all that much and even Shirou didn't express the slightest hint of fatigue on his neutral features while the way he simply brushed off even the most difficult of obstacles was beyond impressive.

Eventually, Shirou decided to take a break for a few minutes and I took the opportunity to chow down on an energy bar while observing the world around us, reminding me why hiking had been my favorite activity when I was a kid as the dense treetops were providing plenty of shade from the morning sun and a draft of cool mountain air constantly blew through the foliage to give it a nice breeze.

Suddenly, my sharp hearing picked up the sound of a light rustle and I looked up to see a gray squirrel running across a branch right above my head, then it looked down at me with its big beady eyes as if puzzled by the sight of me before leaping off the branch, unfolding a pair of large skin flaps and gliding away as I watched with a small smile.

The longer I focused on my surroundings, the more I heard the forest brimming with life as I kept my awareness of my surroundings alert, carefully listening to the trees bending and rustling to the wind while colorful petals of a nearby blooming bush landed on my hair, which I simply brushed off while my inhuman sense of smell picked up the sweet scent of flowers.

Birds of all kinds sang in the background, sometimes gathering around me with curious chirps and I smiled while trying to mimic their sounds with whistles, letting out a content chuckle whenever some of them chirped back and I was sure I spotted a nest or two.

I was grinning as I felt so happy and content, something I haven't experienced in a long time and I realized that I needed this after all the pain and heartache I went through during most of my life so it was wonderful, feeling that youthful mirth bubbling in my chest.

And I wasn't the only one enjoying the hike as I had noticed during the trip that something about Shirou was different, looking more light on his feet with relaxed shoulders and peaceful features while I had decided to see if I could offer him a water bottle.

I went looking for him when I saw that he wasn't at his backpack and came across the surprising sight of Shirou standing in a corner with a little white butterfly on his finger, the wolf beastman observing it with a small but genuine smile before watching the delicate insect fly away until he noticed that he wasn't alone and his smile vanished when he saw that I had a huge smirk on my face, making him cross his arms and send me a warning glare but it was impossible to take it seriously when the butterfly had flown back to perch on his head.

"What are you smirking for?" Shirou growled in annoyance and I couldn't help but chuckle as I walked closer to him and raise my hand to his head, gently letting the butterfly climb onto one of my fingers.

"Oh, me? Nothing, just admiring how much of a softy you are under that hard exterior of yours," I teased as I showed him the butterfly and walked away to place it on a nearby flower.

"Break's over, so let's keep moving," Shirou huffed as he hastily made his way past me and towards his backpack, grumbling curses as he slung it on his shoulders and I found his behavior amusing but chose not to pester the man any further.


We continued trekking for a while, listening to the peaceful ambiance of the forest quietly while my mind wandered and a quick glance at my smartphone showed that we had been hiking for two hours, which took me by surprise.

I wondered how much longer this would take, considering the weather was getting warmer and the back of my t-shit was already drenched with sweat but Shirou suddenly stopped and I almost collided into his back, then I frowned and was about to question him when he held a hand up to prevent me from saying anything.

"We're almost there, but this part will be a little more challenging," Shirou explained as he removed his backpack and handed it to me.

I took the bag and looked around, seeing hundreds of mossy ancient-looking boulders littering the ground all over the mountainside, some of them as large as a house and with the place being much steeper, there were spots where such rocky patches formed unclimbable walls among the trees so it must've been the result of countless rockslides throughout the mountain's lifespan.

"Define challenging," I said dryly as Shirou approached a boulder almost twice his size, the thick layer of moss covering its surface making it look like it had melted onto the lush vegetation beneath and appeared to become one with the mountain but after poking around its edges for a bit, Shirou moved to another similarly sized boulder and repeated the process.

"Seriously though, it can't be all that bad, can it?" I inquired and Shirou paused for a few seconds to stare at me with a strange unreadable glint in his eyes as if mentally weighing his options for an answer but he shook his head and refrained from saying anything in the end, which made me frown as Shirou turned back to his mysterious task at hand and pushed the rock a little.

Puzzled, I opened my mouth to say something but quickly closed it when Shirou suddenly shifted into his beast form, placing both hands on the boulder and pushing hard with a strained grunt when his inhuman strength had no trouble overcoming the object's weight and the large rock started sliding aside with a harrowing groan to reveal a narrow pitch-black gap, a gelid breeze blowing out of it like the ominous breathing of an entombed beast.

"Quick, Doug, go inside!" Shirou grunted, still holding onto the large boulder so that it wouldn't slide back into place.

"Are you sure?" I questioned and Shirou sent me a grimace.

"Trust me, I'll be right behind you, now go!" Shirou hissed and that prompted me to quickly head into the narrow entrance, darkness swallowing me whole in its pitch-black embrace.

The opening led to a tunnel only wide enough for one person at a time as I heard a loud scraping noise behind me and the last hints of sunlight were smothered out like a flame, leaving me in complete darkness and I couldn't see anything all around me.

"Shirou, you here?" I asked as I tensed up and started feeling trapped as I felt the walls around me.

"Don't worry, I'm here," a voice boomed right behind me and I let out a startled gasp until I realized that it was Shirou and let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank god, it's pretty fucking dark in here so I can't see you," I said as I started calming down.

"Do you have anything that can light up the way?" Shirou inquired and I nodded.

"Yeah, I have a flashlight so hold on one second," I replied as I reached into one of my pockets and took out a small flashlight until I turned it on and relaxed at the sight of Shirou.

We walked forward, this time with Shirou closely behind me and it was odd to be leading the way into a place I had no knowledge about, especially when it looked like a literal void while every now and then, the tunnel would narrow further into a tight fissure in the rock, forcing us to squeeze through while other obstacles included climbing down a small pit, stepping over collapsed boulders, and carefully traversing a patch of loose rocks.

The farther and farther we went, the more anxious I got and the light did little to soothe that as the rocky walls pulsated and shifted in the darkness ahead, always moving before us and it was like we were inside a giant monster's maw that could snap closed at any second and the only reason I wasn't starting to panic is that my training was kicking in and helping me try to remain calm.

Finally, it didn't take much longer for the tunnel to grow wider and easier to walk through so I was relieved that there was enough room for Shirou to walk by me and take the lead again so being able to look at him and smell his scent calmed my nerves.

Suddenly, while I was looking around the tunnel warily, something caught my eye and made me stop in my tracks when Shirou stopped and turned to look at me with a questioning look once he noticed that I wasn't following him until he followed my gaze on the wall to our left and I noticed that his eyes shone in realization.

I shined my light on the rocky surface of the wall and could see that it was covered in smudges of black and white paint, the rustic but intricate patterns apparently made from finger strokes as they formed a wide landscape of mountains lining the horizon of a glimmering sea as white dots detailed the snowy peaks and black blotches made a heavily forested island stand out in front of the mountains.

'Wait a goddamn second, that's the island where Anima city was built,' I thought with a look of recognition on my face and faced the tunnel with renewed interest.

I ran past Shirou and headed far ahead of him to check the next set of drawings, then I saw that the next set of drawings depicted a couple of little humanoid figures with animal heads and stars on their chests as I identified them as a wolf, a rabbit, and a ram all wearing long garbs that appeared to be togas and judging from their size, they represented children running after each other.

I continued forward and the further I went into the tunnel, the more paintings I could see that covered the walls and I held an expression of wonder as my mind was overtaken by awe and amazement while I couldn't help but feel like an explorer that has discovered an important discovery.

Eventually, the tunnel opened into a wide chamber and I felt another cold breeze blowing ominously through the darkness but I ignored it and headed straight for the walls, looking for more rustic drawings of a time that has long since passed.

I grinned when I spotted a particularly big cluster of them that showed wolf-headed figures accompanying feral sheep herds, hills blooming colorful blotches under a sunset, a starry night adorned with dozens of constellations, a simple little house under the shade of a willow tree, an elegant city filled with beastmen of all kinds, and human figures brandishing spears and shields until the last part made me pause.

My jovial features twisted into a frown as something wasn't right and I slowly raised a hand to the wall before carefully touching its surface, only now I realized the paint wasn't actually black because my flashlight made it look black when my nose twitched at a faint aged scent of copper in the air and it confirmed that the paint was dried blood.

"Jesus," I gasped as I quickly stepped back from the wall as if it might burn me and my widened eyes took a long look over its entirety, taking in the painted scenes in their real colors for the first time and I was horrified to see so much of it everywhere.

I saw scenes of human figures brandishing their spears and shields while they charged toward the elegant city, beastmen both big and small fleeing for their lives in front of a curtain of fire, and a crowd of beastmen figures facing against human ones, only to end up being impaled by a rain of spears and the sparkling stars adorning their chests becoming extinguished.

"Oh my god," I breathed out in shock and disbelief at the horrible sight but it didn't end there.

I simply covered my mouth when I spotted him, a little wolf beastman standing bravely before an army of human warriors and I knew perfectly well who that wolfman was supposed to be when I saw the spear piercing his star-shaped heart, then I felt sick and the world around me vanished when the final bloody painting showed the little wolf as he laid impaled in the middle of a myriad of starless corpses and the scent of blood was much stronger there, showing that the rock had received many coatings of the substance.

A loud groan snapped me out of my daze and I turned to look at what was causing it, seeing Shirou at the other side of the chamber and once again pushing a heavy boulder with his bare hands but even though there was resistance at first, the lumbering rock finally moved and slowly rolled over after a few hard shoves from Shirou's shoulder, revealing an arching passage framing the outside world while warm sunlight immediately bathed the chamber in its golden glow so I turned off the flashlight and put it away since it was no longer needed.

"Shirou...what the hell is this place?" I asked quietly and the look Shirou gave me was charged with emotion, though I couldn't tell which exactly since it seemed to switch from somber, to angry, to pained, and to serene every time I blinked until he sighed and leaned back on the boulder he just moved.

"This is my den," Shirou told me as he used a hand to gesture toward the entirety of the chamber.

"Your den?" I wondered and it was at that moment that I took my first proper look at the small cave.

Until now, I had been so fixated on the rustic art decorating its walls that I completely missed everything else that filled the place so I could see pale woolen sheets strewn everywhere, covering unknown objects of varying sizes so it was easy to mistake those for natural rock formations when the cave was still overtaken by darkness but now, with the aid of sunlight, it resembled the room of a stereotypical haunted house as Shirou stepped away from the entrance and grabbed one of the sheets.

"Here, help me take these off," Shirou instructed before pulling on the sheet, revealing a small barrel and I complied.

One by one, the dusty sheets revealed pieces of history behind the humble home as animal skins of all kinds and colors covered the rocky floor, which gave it a pleasantly soft texture while there were spots on the walls where the stone had been carved away, forming rough shelves that stored half-melted candles, handmade tools, and other trinkets that I couldn't identify.

I also caught sight of a simple straw bed placed on a corner, two wooden benches, and a few small chests as the setting reminded me of illustrations depicting a caveman's home so it was rustic but cozy, especially when Shirou lit up some of the candles while I walked over to one of the shelves and gently ran my fingers over a small beautifully sculpted wooden wolf that had its head angled up in a silent howl.

"Did you make all of...this?" I questioned while my voice was filled with awe, though my contained tone made it obvious that I was holding back a lot more questions as Shirou had finished putting the folded-up sheets away and turned to stare at one of the drawings on the furthermost wall, which depicted another view of the elegant city buzzing with beastman so I assumed that was Nirvasyl.

"You could say that...I've lived long enough to watch the world around me change countless times, and each time, it becomes more complex and advanced so the technology we have now would be seen as witchcraft only a century ago but imagine even further back..." Shirou trailed off and he sighed, dragging a bench and sitting heavily on it.

"There are days when Anima city is simply too much and I feel the urge to return to my simpler roots for a while...so I come here," Shirou continued and something occurred to me.

"So, all those times where you went missing for a week or two...you were here the whole time?" I questioned and Shirou scoffed.

"Not the entire time since I have other dens hidden all over the mountain," Shirou clarified and I frowned since that at least answered one question that had been bugging me the entire time I had been in Anima city, but I was still kinda peeved that he didn't at least inform me and Michiru where he was going so that the tanuki wouldn't freak out so much.

"So, in that case, why didn't you tell me and Michiru? She would sometimes be very worried about you after you disappear so suddenly," I pointed out and quickly shut up when Shirou flashed a warning glare, his pale blue eyes suddenly becoming icy cold and I tensed up as the hairs on the back of my neck rose up.

"I don't have to tell you or Michiru everything about my life, Doug," Shirou stated coldly.

Each of his words stung but I knew he was right since, despite the harshness of his statement, I've learned from my time in Anima city that Shirou was generally a private person who doesn't talk about his past and with good reason so while I was curious to learn more about him, nobody had the right to pry into his personal business like that.

"You're right...but why did you bring me here?" I asked quietly and to my surprise, Shirou's expression softened again and became heartfelt.

"One of the reasons why is that after you've recovered most of your memories, I could see how much the guilt was tormenting you to the point where you considered suicide as the only option, so you needed to get out of that place just as I do sometimes.

If you stayed any longer, the guilt would've destroyed you completely," Shirou pointed out and I grimaced as his words made me wonder if I was in that much of a bad state.

"And you believe that me coming out into the wilderness was the right call?" I questioned while my face scrunched up, earning a very unimpressed and half-lidded look from Shirou.

"It worked, didn't it?" Shirou countered smoothly.

"Excuse me?" I asked dubiously and a small smile appeared on Shirou's snout.

"You were really enjoying yourself on the way here so I don't think I've seen you look that happy for a long time, if ever," Shirou pointed out and I was about to retort when I realized that he was right.

The hike had been incredibly pleasant so leaving the rush of civilization to return to the arms of mother nature felt oddly liberating, especially when it came to my beastman side because every time I breathed in the fresh mountain air or interacted with the forest's natural wonders, I felt animal instincts buried deep within my body just stirring to life so it was surprisingly revitalizing.

For the first time since I woke up on the mainland all those months ago and steadily recovered most of my memories since then, I felt like I belonged somewhere once again so I wonder if this was how Shirou felt whenever he comes to this place until I had some kind of epiphany.

I looked at my surroundings, taking in every little detail of the place Shirou called his den as all paintings on the walls seemed to depict an era long gone while the rustic handmade objects decorating the cave made me feel like I had entered a time capsule when I recalled Shirou telling me a few minutes ago that he would feel the urge to return to his simpler roots for a while.

Just like I'm struggling to find my place in society for the terrible things I've done and trying to fit in a world of beastmen and humans, Shirou seemed to occasionally struggle to fit in the present and it was hard for me to imagine what it must've been like to live as long as he did, absorbing changing societies, technologies, beliefs, and more so Shirou stood out as a walking relic in an ever-changing world, unable to properly connect with it due to his immortal nature and my heart sank as I realized that I would become the same as him.

Because it was revealed that I was immortal now, I would have to experience the pain of outliving everyone I knew and become another walking relic in an ever-changing world, unable to connect with it anymore and keep living on as anyone I ever get close to is taken away by the sands of time while I remain young forever.

At that moment, I realized why immortality can be seen as a curse since you keep living forever while watching everyone you know just age and die, turning it into an unending hell that keeps on going while you eventually struggle to find a way to desperately reconnect with the only world you ever feel familiar with and how it would be the only time and place you felt like you belong to...the past.

After that, I saw Shirou in a new light and I felt so horrible for him, just knowing that he lost everything and had to keep on living forever with no way of rejoining his friends and family in death while witnessing so much cruelty at the hands of humanity so this place must be a sanctuary for him, a place where he can desperately reconnect with the past so that he wouldn't go insane from the torment of outliving everyone and seeing the worst in humanity day in and day out for centuries.

I felt so ashamed for dismissing his measly breaks as vacations during all those times he disappeared but I felt a new respect for him since he went through so much suffering that would drive a man insane, but he kept pushing on to keep his vow of protecting beastmen and I was similar in a way, a man tortured by the past and looking to find his place in life so that's when I decided that it was time for us to work together to help each other.

"Shirou, thank you...you didn't have to tell me all of that but you did and I'm grateful because now I know what to do," I said with a warm smile.

"And what's that?" Shirou asked.

"After realizing that you went through so much and would still push on to protect the beastmen, I'm gonna find my place in life and hopefully atone for everything I've done," I stated and Shirou looked surprised to hear that.

"I see...and how will you accomplish that?" Shirou questioned and I sent him a look of determination.

"I don't know how, but I will find a way because I've realized that sitting around and feeling sorry for myself won't help anyone so I'll find my place in this world and I will atone for the terrible things I've done, no matter how long it takes," I vowed and Shirou was quiet for a short while until he nodded.

"I'm glad to hear that because now comes the second reason as to why I brought you here," Shirou said.

"Which is?" I inquired curiously and Shirou started looking serious.

"You are a silver wolf now, just like I am so you're gonna need to learn how to control that power because of how devastating it could be if used irresponsibly so I'm going to teach you how to control it but first, in order for that to happen, you need to be in tune with your beastman instincts to have better control of your silver wolf form and there's only one way to do that," Shirou told me as he rose from his seat and headed to a wooden chest, brushing the dust off it and opening it before digging through the contents.

Pretty soon, Shirou suddenly turned around and tossed something leathery into my hands and I started examining it, seeing that it was the holster of a knife and I could see the handle of the knife sticking out of it, the handle beautifully crafted as I pulled out the knife from its holster and saw that it was an elegant but deadly dagger as its curved blade reminded me of a predator's fang.

"Excellent craftsmanship, now what am I supposed to do with this?" I asked as I experimentally twirled and swung it around to test its weight and speed, nodding in satisfaction.

"Guess," Shirou said as he sent me a smug glint in his eyes that took me off guard when he reached for a wooden spear that was on that wall, and then it hit me.

"Oh, I think I understand what you have in mind," I stated and Shirou nonchalantly checked the spear's sharpness by thumbing its pointy tip.

"Douglas Jackson, it's time I teach you a thing or two about being a predator," Shirou declared and I knew that this was gonna get interesting indeed.


A/N Well guys, Doug's training is about to begin and what better way for him to be in better control of his god form than to be in tune with his beastman instincts, which can be accomplished through hunting.

Well, let me know what you think and stay tuned.