This chapter has a lot of A/Ns...just a heads up. I also have previews for stories that I had an idea for at the bottom in case you're interested in those.
Shirou whistled as he walked down the dirt road to Sheldan Free City. It was currently the middle of the afternoon, and three days after Shirou left home on his journey. Those last three days had been pretty uneventful because all Shirou did was walk, and it looked like the same was going to be true for today as well. That was fine as long as Shirou got to Sheldan Free City at some point. It was the first major stopping point in this whole expenditure since it would be an excellent place to restock on supplies, collect information and determine the best routes to take.
"If only the maps had some kind of scale." Shirou thought with a sigh. None of the maps had scales so judging the distance between one place to another was like writing blindfolded. "I don't imagine I'm too far away at this point." The only way to at least guess how much distance he had journeyed so far is by keeping an eye out for an occasional landmark along the road as some of them were drawn on the map.
As he walked, Shirou thought back on the preparations that went into this trip. It took two years to get everything together and that was only possible because everyone pitched in. That really gave him enough breathing room to not only train his body, but his magic as well. His overall strength, however, was still far from what it used to be back in his previous life, but far superior to the strength he had just two years ago. It would be a while before he recovered the full strength he once had. Although, such things were the furthest from his mind right now.
"I'm really glad that everyone pitched in." Shirou thought as he walked down the road, the dirt grinding underneath his boots as he kept his eyes forward, and glancing around from time to time to spot any possible hidden bandits. "I was kinda surprised that Pathfinder and Claudette helped out so much. Claudette is a good girl at heart, though she does needs to learn relax a bit. Pathfinder on the other hand... I'm not sure what that guy is thinking half the time."
Shirou cringed as he remembered all the stuff that happened with the white haired medic. There was never a dull moment when Shirou went into to the medic's room to receive herbology and medical training. Pathfinder wasn't a bad teacher, but his teaching methods weren't exactly safe… or humane. The fact that he was well aware of the deadliness of his own mixtures and was still willing to use them on the innocent was definitely a deplorable trait. However, Shirou couldn't deny the skill the medic had or his uncanny ability to either save... or to kill.
"Sometimes I wonder if that guy's head is on all the way." Shirou cringed. "I can't believe he accidentally poisoned himself. But... a part of me is convinced that he did that on purpose."
"Excuse me." A voice could be heard not too far from him.
Shirou stopped and looked over the side of the road to see an elderly woman standing next to a cart, with a mule laying on the ground. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened. The mule obviously got injured somehow... unless the woman was pulling the mule for some reason. However, putting who was carrying who aside, the real issue was how did he not notice her?
"How did I not see her?" Shirou muttered to himself and arched an eyebrow at her. "Ma'am?"
The elderly woman smiled. "Young man."
Shirou scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Um, were you standing there the whole time?"
"Yes, yes I was." The old woman said, the kind smile still on her face. "I was wondering if you saw me or not. What's with younglings being so distracted these days." She grumbled the last part lowly, but Shirou heard it.
Shirou looked away in embarrassment. This road was pretty much clear of any obstacles that would block vision: trees, big rocks, hills, shrubs, all those things. Maria and Claudette made it a goal to nail it into his head that bandits liked to hide behind objects and ambush unsuspecting travelers. However, in this case the things that someone could possibly hide behind were a tiny tree and a shrub, but hiding a person behind either one would be difficult if not entirely impossible.
"Ah, well, is there any particular reason that you're just standing by the side of the road?" Shirou asked curiously.
"Well, Bertha, my mule, got tired and she decided that she wasn't going to move anymore." The old woman said with a nervous laugh. "And… well… when a mule decides that it doesn't want to do something, it isn't going to do it… plus, this particular mule is exceptionally moody."
Shirou nodded, he knew that feeling that the elderly woman was talking about. Well, a similar feeling, but in Shirou's case it wasn't a mule but a young mare named Maple.
Maple was probably the most difficult animal that Shirou ever had to work with. The young mare was defiant, she was mean, and she spat at Shirou all the time. The redhead hated that horse more than anything else. Well, Shirou could think of a lot of things he hated more than that horse but the point was that Maple was on his bad side.
"Well, where were you heading, if I may ask?" Shirou inquired casually, but kept an eye out in case this was a set up. However, the lack of cover seemed to suggest otherwise.
The old woman lifted a wrinkled finger and pointed in the direction that Shirou was walking. Shirou's eyes shifted to where she pointed and frowned when he saw that there was a forested area coming up, a place where it would be much easier for an ambush. He was almost sure that he was going to get ambushed now, and if he didn't, then it was by sheer luck that he encountered the only old woman that wasn't affiliated with a bandit group.
"My home is just a short distance that way." The old woman said turning back to Shirou with a look that practically screamed 'be a dear and please help me'.
"Then there isn't a problem." Shirou said surely. "I was heading that way anyways so I'm sure I can help you and... Bertha out."
The old woman smiled and the mule made that sound that mules make: a whinny? A bah? A meow? Shirou wasn't an expert on mules but the sound it made wasn't pleasant, but it sounded contempt with Shirou's offer. Well, at least Shirou could live out the rest of his days saying that he impressed a mule named Bertha. If only Claudette could see him now. She'd probably smack him in the back of the head and call him a failure as a Vance, but he wouldn't have expected anything less from his captain.
The old woman laughed. "Haha, I really appreciate this, and it seems that Bertha likes that idea as well!"
"Of course she does. It means less walking for her." The redhead commented earning another round of laughter from the old woman. However, he frowned and his eyes narrowed at the forested area that was just up ahead. "Hmm…"
Shirou breathed heavily as he shambled forward out of the forested area. The redhead's face was flushed a deep crimson, sweat rolled down his brow, and his Archer esque was drenched. It turns out that pulling a cart, a mule, and an old woman was some tiring work and boy was Shirou tired, but at least he didn't get ambushed like he thought he would. That was really the only thing that he was concerned about, at least at that moment. The burden that he was currently carrying was quite concerning though.
"You having troubles there sonny?" inquired the elderly woman.
Shirou heaved. "J-just a little bit."
At the moment, Shirou was drenched in sweat and wheezing while he pulled the cart by those wooden poles that carts have. To keep a long story short, it ended up being that Shirou had to pull the cart, and the mule, and the old woman as one could clearly see. Why was that? Well, to keep a short part of the story short, Shirou and the old woman were walking in the forest and the woman just happened to twist her ankle. Shirou didn't say anything about it but... she was holding the wrong ankle when she fell to the ground.
"So, where exactly are we going?" Shirou asked in attempt to start a conversation and perhaps gather some information. "Oh, and I didn't get your name. My name is Shirou Va-...Emiya." That was close. He almost let his last name slip.
"Shirou Emiya? Well that is certainly an unusual name around these parts." The old woman commented and butchered the Emiya in the process. "Well, nice to meet you Shirou. My name is Margret and we're currently heading to Circlette Town, my home."
Shirou arched an eyebrow. "Circlette Town? Strange, I haven't seen it on the map."
"Of course you haven't!" Margret proclaimed and thumped her hand on her chest. "Most maps are made by people from Gainos, the Queen's Capital. They don't care about most of the smaller towns over the continent."
Shirou could tell by the way she was speaking that she was quite passionate about this subject. He understood why and didn't blame her if she was angry about it. He couldn't speak from personal experience but it probably felt like they weren't a part of the continent because they weren't important enough to be put on the map. That was perfectly understandable. However, there were people all over that had the opposite feeling to that and wanted to have their privacy. Pleasing everyone is impossible.
"I'm sure you'll make it on the map one day. These sorts of things have a habit of coming to light in time. As the saying goes, 'All things come in good time'." Shirou said reassuringly but had a feeling it would take a long time before that would happen. "Probably."
Shirou heard Margret sigh and she probably shake her head too. He couldn't see her to confirm it though, considering she was sitting on the cart he was currently pulling. "Well, I guess if that is the biggest worry in one's life then everything else is fine."
The redhead nodded in agreement. It was no secret that things could always get worse. "Well, that's the right attitude to have."
"So, what's your story?" Margret asked wanting to change the subject.
Shirou looked over his shoulder slightly but continued pulling the cart. "Well, there isn't much to it. I'm just traveling over the continent, hoping to explore a bit. I don't really have an end destination but I promised that I would return home one day." Shirou said the last part fondly.
"You promised your family, haven't ya?" That wasn't really a question as it was more of a statement.
"Yes ma'am." Shirou said resolutely.
"Heh, that's the spirit! You don't look like the kind of person that would break your promises." The old woman again stated.
"Not on purpose at least." Shirou added that part silently.
At that moment the sight of a town came into Shirou's vision. The town was built along the road and expanded pretty far from the road as well. Despite being what Margret called 'small', this town was decently sized. It wasn't so small that a single blink could cause someone to miss it but at the same time it wasn't so big that it gave off the impression of being a city. It was... comfortable for the lack of a better word. The people walking around and going about their daily lives gave a very welcoming feeling.
"This town doesn't seem that small to me." Shirou stated as he walked further into town and gained some curious looks from the locals along the way. "In fact, I think it's a very comfortable place to live in."
"It sure is, isn't? Our town may not be the biggest, but you'll certainly feel welcomed when you step inside, and there are certainly many things you could do around here!" Margret folded her arms and gave a prideful smile.
"It's not as nice as the Vance Estate but she doesn't need to know that." Shirou thought in his head.
However, something did seem to damper the beauty of the town and it was something that was painfully obvious. From the very moment that Shirou walked into the town he noticed that everyone was looking at him, and these looks weren't exactly the most pleasant ones. Almost everyone was glaring at him like he was some sort of abomination, which was pretty strange considering Margret was from this town and was a nice person, and that everyone seemed fine until he stepped inside the town.
"Hey Margret," Shirou called while remaining aware of everything around him. "is there any particular reason why everyone is glaring at me like they hate my guts?"
"Eh, don't worry about it. The men around here are cowards so they'll probably leave you alone if you ignore them long enough." Margret said nonchalantly with a shrug.
Shirou grimaced. "I'm not worried about them." He said knowing full well that the women would pose a bigger threat then the men.
"Haha, don't worry about the ladies either! I'm sure when they see what a kind and charming young man you are their sour moods will quickly change! By the way, you can set the cart down here." Margret said as she hopped off the cart which caused Shirou to narrow his eyes.
"Your ankle sure seemed to heal up fast, didn't it?" Shirou said with slight edge in his voice.
Marget chuckled nervously at his comment knowing she was busted but still tried to pretend like she was innocent.
Shirou sighed, well, what's done is done and it's best just to move on. "Is it alright to just leave the cart in the middle of the road?" he asked worriedly.
"The road is wide isn't it?" Margret chuckled lightheartedly, glad that Shirou decided to let her off the hook.
Shirou rolled his eyes and gently set the cart down. It was probably for the best though since people around here didn't seem to like him that much. The best course of action would be to find a bar or inn, since travelers tended to stop and/or loiter there, and ask for directions. If they simply wanted him out of their town so badly, then they should be more than willing to share instructions on how to leave it. It would only make sense.
"By the way, if you're looking to get a drink somewhere, the pub is right over there." Margret said as she pointed to a building that looked a lot like a saloon in one of those old western movies.
"Oh, thank you." Shirou nodded gratefully. Perhaps he can gather some information from the people there. Drunk patrons do have a hard time keeping their mouths shut after all.
"No problem young man! Now I have to go and take care of some business. I'm not getting any younger after all haha! You take care of yourself, you hear me?" Margret spoke while smiling brightly at Shirou.
"But of course, and you take care of yourself as well ma'am. Wouldn't want to fall down and hurt your ankle again now would you?" Shirou said with slight amusement.
The response he got was Margaret starting to laugh loudly as she was walking off.
Before Shirou advanced towards the pub he looked around to see if the people were still glaring at him. They still were but there was something strange. There seemed to be less people glaring at him than before. The people that actually stopped glaring were that ones that had went on doing their daily duties and acted like they were before he had entered the town. What a strange bunch.
"Well, at least I won't be here for long." Shirou sighed before he pushed the doors open to the pub and walked in.
From some distance away, Marget watched as the young Vance walked into the bar. "He looks just like someone I met a while ago. This name... Emiya... it sounds so familiar. Hmm..."
The inside of the pub was exactly what Shirou thought it would look like: a western saloon. There was a single counter in front of a large shelf filled with various bottles that were filled with what he presumed to be alcohol, and many stools were stationed along the front of the counter. Aside from the counter, there was also multiple drink stained round tables with musty wooden chairs pulled up to them. In the back, where there was a ton of space for some reason, there was a long table that was probably used for some kind of game or something.
However, there was one thing that Shirou noticed in particular about the bar: it smelled worse than the medical office back at the Vance Estate. A room that served drinks... smelled worse than a place where people died, bled, and had their other fluids extracted. However, the smell could have been from the patrons, they looked really smelly… among other things. The patrons looked like they either just got done working at an oil rig, or were some kind of stereotypical drifters.
"Good lord, it smells terrible in here." Shirou noted as he walked forward, ignoring the glares he was getting from the few patrons. Yep, they were definitely the smelly ones.
Adding to the almost blinding amount of stereotypes was the bartender that looked like he had literally jumped out of some Wild West movie. He had everything from the slight heftiness to the balding scalp to the outfit he wore, it was dead on. Well, the women were the warriors of this world while it seemed that the men were the stereotypes. They weren't dead on stereotypes, unless the bartender was counted, but stereotypes all the same regardless.
Shirou walked towards the stereotypical bartender and ignored the looks from the smelly patrons of the bar. Though he discreetly kept a close eye on them since they DID look like an unruly bunch, but it seemed like they were too drunk to realize that they outnumbered him. Not that Shirou was complaining though, he would be out of here soon enough and wouldn't have to put up with the glares anyways.
"Excuse me." Shirou said lowly to the bartender.
The bartender, who was washing glasses and probably pretended that he didn't hear him, gave Shirou a quick glance before sighing, putting down the glass, before finally turning to the redhead with a bored look.
Shirou's eyebrow twitched but the overall expression on his face remained indifferent. He could honestly care less if a bartender that looked like he came out of a western movie, liked him or not. Right now, all he wanted to do was get out of here as soon as possible. Some may call it foolish to want to leave after getting glared at but when almost the entire populace does it, then it's a problem.
"What do you want?" The bartender said roughly.
"Not your attitude." Shirou quipped in his mind. "I would like directions on how to get to Sheldan Free City."
The bartender narrowed his eyes and Shirou narrowed his right back. "Hmm... you're not the thief."
"Excuse me?" An eyebrow was raised.
"You're not the thief." The bartender repeated. "Yeah, definitely not. You don't look the type that would steal something. I'd say you're more of a thug character."
"What are you even talking about? A thief? Is that why everyone is looking at me like they want to burn me on a stake?" Shirou questioned and turned around to see that everyone was still glaring at him.
The bartender nodded as he folded his arms. "I expected as much. You see, this town has been plagued by a thief as of late, and a damn slippery one at that. Everyone here is pretty much on the edge, but don't worry about these drunk idiots. They probably don't even know where they are right now."
"Uhhh… okay?" Shirou replied with some uncertainty as he glanced at the patrons of the bar. They all did have pretty glassy looks in their eyes indicating that they have consumed quite a lot of alcohol. "But what does this have to do with me? I've done nothing wrong to receive such harsh looks."
The bartender laughed nervously at Shirou's question while scratching the back of his head, he then looked away guiltily.
Shirou's eyebrow twitched, he could see where this was going to go. The bartender was going to say something really obnoxious and kind of insulting. The redhead had lived in this world long enough to know that it liked to prove him wrong, and that it knows how to press his buttons. On a good note, at least it wasn't trying to kill him...at least not yet it wasn't.
"Ah... well... you see… uh, while we haven't actually ever seen the thief's face, we do know that..." The bartender paused briefly before continuing. "whoever it is… has red hair."
"They think I'm the thief... because of my hair color?" Shirou asked with clear annoyance in his voice. He simply knew it.
"Ah, yeah." The bartender admitted while offering a smile. "One night the watchmen caught a glimpse of the thief but only of the backside. The only notable thing that the watchman managed to make out was that the thief had deep red hair."
"Like mine." Shirou stated.
The bartender nodded while scratching the bald part of his head a bit. "To be fair, that shade of red is incredibly uncommon around these parts. We've never seen hair that was actually fully red in color."
Shirou sighed, the bartender did have a point. Even in Shirou's previous world, red hair was a very, very uncommon color, and having red hair that was literally red, in every sense of the word, was even rarer. Apparently the same thing was here as well, or at least Shirou hoped it was and it wasn't just the world playing some kind of weird joke on him like it seemed to do quite often. It was probably too much to ask that it wasn't though.
"Fine." Shirou said with a sharp inhale. "I guess I see your point. However, I expect you to tell them that I'm not the thief."
The bartender laughed like it was some kind of funny joke. It wasn't. "If it were that easy then any criminal in the world could say they didn't do it and get released. Sorry to break it to you kid but the world isn't some fairy tale where problems can be solved easily."
"Fairy tale isn't the word I would have used to describe it but I see your point." Shirou replied. He'd probably use the word 'Erotica' for a lack of better word. "So, I would probably be cleared of any suspicion if the thief is caught right?"
"Most likely." The bartender agreed with a shrug.
"But, if I simply were leave town, then I would most likely look even more suspicious in the eyes of the people around here, right?" Shirou added while rubbing his chin in thought. "It really raises the question of why I should even care."
"More than likely. The people around here don't take too kindly to thieves since we used to have problems with bandits in the past, before more troops were stationed to guard the town's perimeter." The bartender replied. "News travels fast around this town my friend. If one person knows it, everyone knows it."
"Troops?" Shirou arched an eyebrow while rubbing his chin.
The bartender nodded. "Troops from the Queen's Capital, Gainos. You don't want to tangle with them. You'll regret even thinking about it." The bartender said his voice edgy as he rolled up his sleeve to reveal a rather nasty looking scar that ran from his wrist to his elbow.
"I see." Shirou replied lowly as he examined the scar, it was pretty grievous. How did he even survive a wound like that? It must have been a miracle."What are the chances they would come after me if I left town?"
"Honesty, they'd probably arrest you on the spot." The bartender admitted while rolling down his sleeve. "Its no secret that people have a hard time keeping their mouth shuts. I wouldn't put it past someone to tell the guards you're the thief without hearing you out first."
"And I take it you're not going to vouch for me?" Shirou asked in a monotone voice.
"Nope." The bartender declared cheerfully, way too cheerfully for Shirou's liking. "
"I thought as much."
Shirou sighed and slapped his face with his palm. Of course, it wouldn't be that easy, and if it was there was always bound to be some sort of catch. Shirou personally had nothing against trying to find this thief, but he didn't necessarily like the idea that he was practically forced to do it. If the circumstances weren't what they were then Shirou would have been more than happy to help them catch this criminal, but being forced to do it is more or less the same thing as being guilty.
"Alright, then do you at least have some sort of plan that can help me get out of this mess?" Shirou said after a long sigh.
The bartender smiled cheekily. "I've got no clue." He admitted shamelessly. "All I can advise you, is to speak to the town watchmen. They might have a suggestion on what you should do."
An eyebrow twitched. "I see."
"Now back to business, is there anything I can get you?" The bartender said with a flip of the switch.
"I guess I'll take a juice." Shirou said. He was kinda of thirty.
The bartenders frowned. "A juice I see. It seems I had misjudged you." He said before going back to clearing the glasses
"And what is that suppose to mean?" Shirou questioned, his eyebrow twitching.
"I said you looked like a thug but I guess a featherweight would have been more appropriate." The bartender retorted, a challenging tone to his voice.
The redhead narrowed his eyes at the bold bartender. "I'm not going to buy another drink just because you called me a featherweight."
"Oh really? Damn, most men would have because I challenged their masculinity." The bartender said rather nonchalantly. "I guess you aren't most men."
"You have no idea."
A few hours had passed and it was now night-time. The night sky was blanketed in stars of all different shapes and sizes, but the moon was absent from the display. Circlette Town was dark as most of its residence had called in for the night. But, it wasn't just the people who were quiet, but the usually vibrant forest went silent as well with the exception of the sounds from typical nocturnal insects and other night dwellers like bats.
"I've only been here for barely half a day and this place is already too much for me."
In a tree just outside the town sat Shirou on a branch. He climbed high enough on the tree to get a good vantage point and to hide himself from view in case anyone walked by. He was lucky enough to find a branch that was both strong enough to support his weight and at least allowed to sit somewhat on it.
He had been sitting in this tree for thirty minutes, waiting for this thief to show up. Why was that? Because the genius of a watchman thought that if Shirou hid in a tree, then the thief wouldn't see him coming… the same effect that hiding a bush would have had.
The redhead sighed. "This better be worth it or else the only thing that will come out this would be half a dozen splinters in my ass." Shirou grimaced a bit but kept vigilant. "Who knows if the thief is even coming tonight. Maybe I should call it quits and find a place to sleep at. I can always do some searching tomorrow."
Suddenly, an outline figure of a person passed right into Shirou's view, and since the watchmen had ordered everyone stay in their houses tonight, there were only two possibilities on what that person might be: a passerby, or the thief. It quickly became clear that it was the latter, judging by the only feature that Shirou could get a clear view of: the red hair.
How ironic, he was being judged by his hair color by the people from this town, and now he quickly passed on judgment by the same thing.
"You have got to be kidding me." Shirou glowered as he watched the red haired thief dash through the dark streets before stopping in front of the door of a nearby house. "Alright, here we go."
The young Vance dropped from the tree as quietly as he could and started to silently creep towards the unsuspecting thief. As he drew closer he could see more and more of the thief. He could now tell that the thief was definitely a female, had red hair, and that her skin had a light but noticeable tan. Her outfit however... wasn't so easy to make out and Shirou would rather not go into details of what it looked like... or rather, what he thought it looked like.
"Hey." The thief jerked stiffly before turning around slowly to face a scowling Shirou. "What do you think you're doing?"
"I-I was just, uh..." The thief spoke in a feminine voice.
Yup, definitely a female.
Shirou narrowed his eyes as he took a better look at the thief. Now that he could see her face, he had to admit that she was actually quite beautiful. She looked young, maybe of the same age as Claudette or maybe year older but, but regardless of older or younger age, the healthy flush on her face made her look youthful and inexperienced. Her hair was of the same shade as Shirou's albeit a lot spikier and it was a little below the shoulders in length. It would probably grow into a mane as she got older. Her eyes were a light purple and her tanned skin was slightly darker then what Shirou had previously thought. A noticeable thing is that she has a gorgeous body like most of the women in this world seem to have.
Her outfit consists of an ornate tight jacket as her top, and black panties with a detailed red belt over them as her bottom. On her arms, she has armguards high up on her arms Her footwear consisted of a pair of sandals.
Finally Shirou took a note of her weapon which was a wooden club that had a crude metal wrapping at the striking end. She also had a medium sized wooden shield hanging of her left hand.
"Who are you!?" The thief demanded rather fearfully despite keeping up a tough front.
Shirou folded his arms and glared at her "That's my line you know, but I do have one important question for you." The thief arched a ruby colored eyebrow. "What does the name Emiya mean to you?"
Well, it sure has been a while hasn't it? Yeah, sorry about that. I won't bore you with the details but I will give you an indication of why it took so long: European History, laziness, and getting to gold before the season ended (I got it). Anyways, onto the more pressing notes. Needless to say it was probably the most boring few months of my life but like I said I ain't going to give up on this story and it WILL be finished.
Oh, and if you see any mistakes in this chapter point them out and I will fix them. Also no update on the harem or no harem thing...still undecided on that.
Story Related Items-
This Chapter:
Honesty this was the most annoying chapter to write so it maybe of lower quality compared to the chapters before it. You to cut me some slack though because I don't have a crunch to stand on when it comes locations that weren't seen in the animation. So yeah, if the description ends of being a little bit fuzzy and weird that is why. I have also prepared answers for a few questions you might have:
"Why didn't you just jump to places that you knew?"
- Because it was more likely that there were several towns located all over the continent. Also, it would feel like it would seem like I'm trying to rush through things by having him jump around from place to place in a short amount of time.
"Who was that girl at the end?"
- Not sure, who was she? You tell me.
"Why does Shirou seem like he gets annoyed easily? He's always twitching his eyebrow or something."
- I feel like being born in a new world that pretty much says "Effe you" to your old world gives you every right to be annoyed or outright angry. However, I can see how that would be annoying so I'll try to stop that a number of people are annoyed by it. Sorry it seems like Shirou is being "unreasonable". Hope that clears some things up.
"Why does it seem like everyone hates Shirou?"
- It makes for some interesting comedic effects. If it was done badly his chapter it was because it was pretty hard to picture something that didn't exist and I had to go with the flow. Yeah, it may have gone over the time this chapter.
"Why didn't Shirou reinforce against Melona?" (I just remembered this one)
- Because I'm pretty sure Shirou is smart enough to realize that it wouldn't have mattered. Melona wasn't taking him seriously which played into Shirou's hands perfectly. At the moment, Shirou had a perfect opportunity to defeat her and if she wasn't a slime he would have killed her. I'm also convinced that the moment she regenerated he would have realized that using the same methods wouldn't have worked on her. Why waste energy on something that may have not even worked?
"How long will the next chapter take?"
-Less time than this one. I would have already started on it the next one, but I don't really have a definite answer to that question.
Review Responses:
"Great chapter. Loved the ending especially here, thou I do wonder what is Shirou's current level of strength and his progress on his magic. There some tough enemies here and he does need an edge against them. You could mention it in the next chapter."
- I hoped this chapter answered your question. If it didn't, feel free to ask PM me for the answer.
"I'm guessing by the time the sister reunite with Shirou, he's going to look like Archer. Also please have him able to Trace NP soon, the QB characters reactions will be hilarious."
- A fair guess, but giving an answer has the potential to spoil things so this is all I can do. I don't think he'll get them back any time soon, at this point, if he got the NPs back he'd just steamroll over everyone...Melona included. It would be very toxic for the story if he gets them back too early (Now I know what Morello feels like).'
"Sorry for language errors, but i wanted to make review anyway.
1. Shiro too weak for this time. Even if he focused on reinforcement (which he not even used in battle with Melona for some uknown reason), don't forget, that second time, then he know right road, it's much much easier to reach his old level in tracing. There can be another reason, why he can't trace Noble Phantasms yet or at all, but not lack of training. I understang that you don't want to Shiro become too powerfull, but, actually, it's a wrong move. We like powerfull (but kinda stupid) Shiro, who use his powers economically. Even Archer show off only in front of Shiro and never in front of another enemy.
2. Do not joke with Gilgamesh. He just can't have problems with money, even without Gates of Babylon. It's not problem for him at all to won on totalizator or in casino.
3. QB with male character but without harem (at least, small) just not so interesting. I not really like harems, at least with more than 3 woman, but some worlds, like Sekirei, just don't feel right without them. Too many singles with interesting characters around, to many dissapointed readers after first-and-last-choice _
4. Shiro already have Reality Marble, because it's tied to his soul and mind, not his body. He just can't reach it now? Because of this "golden shining" (Avalon 0_o)?"
-Way to not read the A/Ns I put or...even listen to the explanations of why I do the things I do. Your consideration and the time you take to consider the other point of view is heartwarming, it really is.
Non-Story (This story) Related Items-
Shirou and the Teigu:
Okay, I made a flop last chapter by saying that Shirou can't trace the Teigu because they are made material made from living beings. It was my intention was not to sound like I was Zyra'ing Shirou (weakening him), or to sound like I was stupid. Don't get me wrong, your arguments don't budge my theory that he can't trace Teigus. Since I know that people are just going to argue with what I say regardless of how good of a point I make so I'm not going to explain what my theory is, but it does involve the Structural Analysis. You'll see it when the story is finally published.
I never said that what I said is the absolute truth. I never said that. All I am saying is that it is unlikely that Shirou is the creator of the Teigu and/or trace them.
Story Previews:
Below are short previews of other stories I had ideas for or had mentioned about writing before. They are still experimental and what you see may not be in the actual story or even be relevant. Keep it in mind I can change anything I want. Oh, and be sure to tell me what you think of the previews and try to take a guess at who each story is for.
Preview #1
I couldn't begin to explain why I had a musket, yes a seventeenth century weapon, pointed at my face. To be honest, I'm not even sure where that thing even came from, but from what I saw...it came from a strange location.
"What is your answer?"
Oh yes, and how could I forget the very person pointing the musket may face. My dark eyes were met with eyes equally as dark and blank staring back at me from behind the musket. I knew her. I sat next to her in every class I had. She would try to walk silently behind me, but I knew she was there. Every minute, of everyday, at school I could feel her studying me. Despite her strange behavior she was a very lovely girl, I just wish that the musket wasn't her first resort.
"My answer." I said as a smirk played on my twitching lips.
I saw her body tense and the grip o her musket tighten. Ah I see, so the entire time she was nervous about my answer. I didn't know that such things matter to someone like her.
"I'd be foolish to decline."
Series: Brilliant Park (Which I love) x ? (It isn't the Legend of Zelda)
Preview #2
The camera flashes...were annoying. I couldn't see anything with all of those bright flashes all around, so when someone would as me a question I had no idea who I was talking to. So I didn't. I never replied to any question or even acknowledge a question was even asked of me. I don't think this response was unwarranted, it may say to the world that I'm an unsociable character, but I'd rather be that true then be painted up by the media as the wonder kid I'm clearly not.
"How does it feel to be the first male pilot?"
That question I heard very clearly over the endless stream of barely understandable questions everyone else was asking me. However, this question was one I hear many times and one that no one ever stopped asking. How did I feel about it? That was actually a good question, how did I feel?
"I feel like...I'm just one in the many to come." I said and I meant it.
For once during the entire interview, there was no sound at at. It was completely silent just the way I liked it.
Series: IS (Yep, real original right?) x ?
Preview #3
"Make your choice."
A choice, was there really a choice here to be had? Hmm...die or forget everything practically the same thing only the latter being slow and ignorant death. How could I forget what just happened? Or maybe a better question would be, what do I even remember? The day had started out pretty normal then...there was nothing but ruin all around me. Yeah, I didn't remember anything.
"Is what you call a choice?" I said as my teeth grit together and I got to my feet. "What the hell kind of choice is this? Die or die ignorant? Die without remembering everyone? I think I'll pass."
"So then you.." The gun cocked as it moved to point at my face: a kill shot.
"I refuse you choice and instead offer you a third one: I'll going to make this right."
Series: Trinity Seven x FSN
Preview #4
So, that day had finally come huh? I was finally starting high school and to be honest I was pretty excited. I picked this school, Kuoh Academy, because it sounded like an all boys school. It couldn't have been more perfect! Oh, and can't forget this it was also one of the most well funded schools in the district. I was lucky to even get in. However, they seemed more than happy to let me in without some sort of test or something. Not sure what that was about.
"Alright." I said, a smile gracing my face. "Here we go."
When I walked in was I was met with the most horrifying sight I had ever seen: girls. They were very where! In the courtyard! Sitting on the benches! In class! Eating lunch! In the trees! Pointing and and giving me weird looks. I mean they were everywhere! Surely there had to be some law or something about this, because such a gather had to break some zoning code or something. How do I even response to something like this!? How!?
"Oh god." Yeah, that pretty much summed it up.
I entered my classroom and it was filled with girls just like I thought. I politely introduced myself and sat where the teacher told me, and made VERY special care not to brush up against them.
"Okay, now that everyone is here. I would like to wish everyone luck on their three year stay here." The teacher proclaimed.
I gulped. Dear father, please do not think lowly of your son who died a horrible death in a sea of mammary.
Series: Highschool DxD x Dragon's Rioting
Preview #5
I dodged their lazy magic blasts easily as I quickly gained ground on them, my spear ready. These...devils were not welcome here and my master made it ever clear that any devil that didn't show me the sign of their master was not welcome here. I nimbly handled my spear in hand before stabbing it forward into one of the grunts in front of me. There were 3...2 of them them left no and judging by their faces...my next kill would come soon. I pushed forward using the body of the other devil as cover as I caught another one on my sinister point.
"You...you." The last devil said choking on his own words.
I didn't say a word. I calmly pulled the spear out of the deceased devils and made my way towards the last devil. Hmm...what was this smell? My eyes lowered to see a stain over the devil's groin. I see, he's afraid of me...or rather he is afraid of what I can do. A perfectly justifiable reaction considering what I just didn't, but his feelings weren't relevant at the moment.
"I'll let you live only for the purpose of delivering a message to your master." I said my voice muffled by the mask I was wearing.
"W-what?"
"Tell them to...never underestimate humanity."
Series ? x ?
Questions, comments, concerns, or requests?