Chapter 4
The change in Shirou was easily noticeable. Though, it was Nicholas that was able to notice the subtle changes. He was interested in the blue lines and the way he summoned those swords, but figured it was a semblance of some kind. It was interesting, but he was more interested in the subtle change in Shirou's demeanor.
From the moment he met him, Nicholas could see shades of the man Shirou likely was before meeting him. However, what he saw now only confirmed his suspicions. The discipline, the look in his eyes, and even his mannerisms were all familiar to him. It was a look that didn't belong on someone so young.
It made sense to him now why he seemed so uncomfortable at times. The humility wasn't just simple humility, it was rooted in something deeper. He was ignoring the others in the room with him, his mind only focusing on the hope that it wasn't too late for the young boy. From what he could see, the boy only had one hope.
That hope was his daughter. The young man was like a drawn sword, afraid to cut those around him, but willing to protect others and live his life in such a manner despite the weight such a life would bear on him. Nicholas knew that way of life well. It was why he knew that the only thing that would likely help him was Willow.
He likely would have felt more apprehensive if the boy wasn't so upfront. He was still a mystery, but yet, Willow seemed to already trust him, which said a lot actually. Still, he wanted to help the kid as well. If he continued on the path he was walking, then he likely would repeat the same mistakes that he himself made.
He was beginning to feel his age now, yet, he couldn't help but grow a bit excited. He had a feeling that Shirou would be instrumental in the future. Despite his best efforts, he was limited in the help he was able to provide to others on Remnant, but he had a feeling that Shirou and Willow would be able to succeed where he could not.
'I don't like that look.' Willow thought to herself. From the moment Shirou called those swords to his hands, she felt like he was different than usual. It was making her uncomfortable. There was something about those swords, she didn't know what, but she didn't like it. The fact that there was an easily noticeable change in Shirou was proof of that.
He held the swords up in a stance with Raven responding in kind. The moment the two were prepared, Shirou disappeared in a burst of speed. In an instant, he closed the gap between the two and attacked, using both swords to hit her sword upwards. With another quick movement, he delivered a side kick that forced her back quite a bit.
Raven's aura shimmered for a second, before she grinned and shot back while firing off projectiles of dust with each slash of her sword. This time, Shirou didn't use any dust or even try to block the attacks. Instead, his eyes narrowed and he charged forward, deftly moving from side to side narrowly dodging dust attacks, before sliding underneath a horizontal slash and attacking Raven once more.
As opposed to before, Shirou was now the one who was on the offensive. The two engaged in a furious, violent dance of blades. It was easily noticeable who had the upper hand, as Raven's aura continuously crackled and shimmered on different areas of her body. Noticeably, the areas being attacked would have been likely been fatal wounds, or at the very least, debilitating.
Willow couldn't help but notice that Summer actually seemed rather surprised at the current situation. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was slightly open in awe. She likely would have been similar if not for her father mentioning that Shirou was like him, as well as a few other comments. Not to mention, she had seen some of what he was capable of, though this was a far cry from that.
She could see a soldier in him now. However, she couldn't help but grow a bit saddened and worried about him. The Shirou fighting now, he was different from the one she knew. The thing was, his movements were exactly as she had observed before. They weren't what you would see from a huntsman. Then again, Raven's didn't seem like it either.
There was another thing that really worried her. It was the initial aspect that caused her to worry and how she knew he wasn't the same. His stunning golden brown eyes were so sharp and cold that when she got a good look at them in the light, they almost appeared to be steel colored for a moment.
"He's better than Raven." A quiet and surprised voice called out. Willow turned and saw that Summer had gotten over her initial shock. Now she was closely watching the two fight it out, her eyes darted back and forth with every movement the two made. "Willow, this guy's skill is probably comparable to, if not better than, most licensed huntsmen."
"I know. Dad said that he reminded him of a soldier, though Shirou did say that he was a part of a group that was similar to huntsmen. He didn't really go into much detail, though that may have been because of his amnesia." She replied, though she was wondering how much Shirou actually remembered.
'She's good, but it's obvious her skills haven't been refined, nor does she have experience fighting against opponents as skilled as she is. She's like most Executor trainees.' He thought, once again parrying an attack that would have been fatal. If he was younger, he would likely be in trouble.
However, he had fought against monsters stronger than himself. He sparred with Gilgamesh, where even a second of hesitation would have ended with him impaled with multiple weapons. He had faced death more times than he could count, so attacks like the ones Raven resorted to did little to rattle him. Against most, they may work, but against those trained and experienced enough, they did little.
Granted, he wasn't about to allow himself to take a blow like that anyways. He didn't have Gilgamesh there to heal him with whatever was in the Gate of Babylon. Raven then attacked with a blade of gravity dust, which he readily blocked. The moment the blades made contact, the gravity dust blade shattered, causing his swords and arms to become weighed down.
She quickly changed her blade and was on the offensive again. Shirou quickly dropped his swords, with them dropping to the ground with such force they stabbed into the ground. He took a step back as Raven began her attack, likely thinking she caught him. However, Shirou merely smirked. The married blades began to glow with circuitry, before they exploded in the ground.
Without wasting a moment, Shirou loaded his body into a stance. Raven's sword came flying out of the cloud of dust kicked up from the explosion as Shirou's right hand was covered in blue circuits. He brought his hand up and caught the base of the blade, creating a sound of steel on steel, before stepping into her guard and delivering an elbow to her solar plexus.
Rather than allow her to recover, Shirou shifted his body and was able to perform a hip toss, throwing Raven to the ground. He looked down and noticed that her aura then crackled, before dissipating completely, telling him that it had likely ran out. However, he knew that Raven likely felt each of blow of his martial arts, as Bajiquan targeted the internals. He doubted aura protected against that, which only made him more impressed with Raven, since she was able to take his earlier punch.
He then took a deep breath before slowly exhaling, his breath easily noticeable thanks to the heightened heat his body produced from his magic circuits. Said circuits slowly receded and his body relaxed. It was then he realized that he was still standing over Raven. "Uh, sorry, I got a little carried..." He trailed off as he noticed that Raven was actually unconscious.
His eyes widened a bit and he had to admit that he felt a little bad about it. Though, he had a feeling that it was going to end that way in the end anyways. Raven didn't strike him as that type of person. She would have fought until neither of them could continue. However, there was something about her that bothered him.
Her fighting was good, however, it was marred by fear. He knew about her from her sword, but every time they crossed blades, he got a clearer picture of who she was. She wanted to be strong, but only because she was afraid of being weak. For that reason, her sword was not at the level it could be. Fear could only take you so far before it crippled you.
If he had the opportunity, he would like to help her move past that roadblock. He doubted her teammates could do it, as they likely had no idea about it. Then again, it wasn't like he was that close with her. It was just his nature to try and help others. "Shirou?"
Willow's voice called out, causing him to remember where he was. He quickly took a step away from Raven and turned to see Willow looking at him with a strange expression. If he had to explain it, he'd say that there was an apprehensiveness in her gaze, as well as some wariness present in her voice.
"Uh, her aura kind of broke when she hit the ground. Honestly, I wasn't expecting her to lose consciousness." He quickly stated, rubbing the back of his head nervously. It was the truth, he wasn't actually expecting to knock her out like that. When she caught him off guard with the gravity dust, he accidentally ended up responding how he normally would.
He still had the wherewithal to hold back and not deliver anything that could harm her too bad. Still, he shouldn't have allowed himself to revert in the face of such a thing. Winter seemed to study him for a moment, before shaking her head and walking up towards him with a slightly worried expression.
She quickly grabbed a hold of his hand and turned it around. She looked at his palm intently, even feeling it with her other hand as if she wasn't sure what she was feeling was real. "How is your hand not cut? I saw you grab onto the blade of her sword?" She asked with a tilt of her head.
Shirou could only offer a bit of a wry smile. "I suppose you could say my aura works differently than most people, probably because of my semblance." He replied, trying to use terms that she'd understand. Equating his magical energy to aura was the best comparison he could think of. Besides, it wasn't like he was completely lying.
He didn't have a convenient shield that covered his body, but that didn't mean he couldn't reinforce himself. There were other factors, some tied to his reality marble, but that was the gist of it. If he wanted his hand to become as durable and strong as steel, then he could do so.
"Trust me, I was completely safe during that fight. Though, I admit that her durability and skills caught me off guard a bit." He continued, before his eyes slightly widened for a moment. He slowly turned his head towards Raven and saw that Summer was kneeling down next to Raven's body, checking on her friend.
'How did she do that?' Willow had come directly from the observation room, so the door was behind her. Shirou may not have been on alert, but his senses were still heightened from the earlier bout. Meaning, he should have noticed when Summer walked by. More than that, it was almost like he didn't even have her scent either.
'Teleportation? No, I doubt they'd place two teleportation users on the same team, even if they worked well together. Besides, such an ability has to be rare. Speed? Could be, though that'd have to be speed on par with a servant. Unless it was a type of presence concealment?' He peeked over towards Summer, who seemed to be shaking her head with a relieved smile on her face.
If he was reading the situation correctly, then that meant that Raven was likely fine. Still, he felt like he'd have to reevaluate his opinions on Summer. If she was even close to the same level as Raven, with a skill like that, she'd likely be rather troublesome if he had to actually fight her. Of course, it wasn't like they would fight seriously.
However, considering whatever ability she had, it'd be possible he would end up treating her similarly to Raven and he really didn't want to hurt anyone. Not to mention, he didn't feel like calling Kanshou and Bakuya back anytime soon. If he could only use the sword Nicholas gave him, then he'd do that. Those two swords were stained with far too much blood.
"Don't worry, Raven's fine. It just looks like she was knocked out by your last attack, not to mention aura depletion. She'll probably have a heck of headache, but it happens." Summer said with a light chuckle. Shirou and Willow both a raised a brow at her words, since the way she said it, this had happened to Raven before.
"But, now that you're done, does that mean you have some time to spar with me too?" She asked with a smile, but before he could respond in any way, Willow answered.
"Whoa, no way! I didn't even want him doing anything strenuous until his wounds healed and he's still recovering." She said, her face slightly reddening as she realized that she was still holding onto his hand and letting go. Shirou couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed either, which was a little surprising to him.
Summer let out an amused huff, "I was joking, Willow. Besides, the Vytal Festival doesn't start for awhile, so we still have time before we have to leave for Vale. I don't mind waiting until Shirou isn't bandaged up." She finished with a small smile, with Shirou looking down and remembering that he was still bandaged in a few places.
Rest wasn't something that Shirou was all that comfortable with. So when the talk after the spar concluded, Shirou was at a loss as to what he wanted to do. Willow wanted him to rest, which he understood somewhat. Though, she seemed to understand that just doing nothing wasn't something he was accustomed to, since she had a maid show him where the library was.
He guessed that she would have likely joined him if not for her getting a message on her 'scroll', plus helping Summer with Raven. Besides, he also didn't want her to not be able to speak to her friend freely. She did tell him that she wouldn't be long, but from what he could gather from Summer's personality, he doubted that.
He did agree to spar with Summer sometime later that week, so he knew he'd be seeing her quite a lot. Plus, he knew that she was going to be staying in the Schnee manor, likely with the rest of her team. He was a bit interested in who the other two members of her team were, if only to get a better understanding of how huntsmen teams were formed.
If they were anything like the church, then the academies likely formed teams with members that complimented the other. He was also interested in seeing their semblances. However, it would have to wait. As of the current moment, he was alone in the Schnee library, which was rather extensive.
While they had physical books, most of the information was actually stored on terminals in the room. So, he quickly began to research the world he was currently in. If he was stuck here, then he wanted to know as much as he could so he could find a way to live there.
Judging from what he could find, magic was a myth. Most appearances of it showing up in children's books. He supposed it was possible that magic users existed, but were hidden like the mages in the Clocktower. However, that was something he wouldn't know until he investigated.
Then there was the Grimm he heard about. Apparently, they were common and had many different variations. Creatures of shadow that possessed no soul and were attracted to the negative emotions generated by the inhabitants of the world. Considering human nature, he guessed that they were likely a big problem in most places outside of the kingdoms.
The kingdoms, of which there were four, had different settlements dotted throughout. It seemed like the bigger cities were the safest, though there were smaller ones located in different places. It was a hostile world though, with the threat of Grimm ever present. Considering his black keys were highly effective against them, he guessed that they were dark and evil in origin.
Everything he read was just general knowledge things, but everything he saw didn't paint a good picture for his chances of returning home. Legends of heroes and magical items were rare, most being within the last 200 years, which was a bit odd for him. Honestly, it was a more than a little jarring. Though, he was glad that he was able to get a general feel for the world he was in.
He was interested in the faunus. Particularly, he was interested in Menagerie. The faunus were primarily located there, though it was mostly a desert. Shirou may not have been able to do much, but he had a feeling that a few of the places in the world that were barren could be fixed again, especially if what he thought about Dust was true.
Dust was crystallized magical energy. It wasn't even up for debate at this point. The more he read about veins of dust and the way it was mined, it made a lot of sense. Likely, the leylines were still present and active, but something was causing magical energy to crystallize. That wasn't a problem, but over mining was.
Mana was the magical energy of the world, meaning if these veins were over mined, it would have adverse effects on the land they flowed through. He had an idea on how to help that, but it was something he'd have to work on and think about. Besides, it wasn't like he could do everything. Mostly, he just wanted to do what he could while he was there.
As he was reading through the different books and information that he had managed to pull up, the door to the library opened, causing him to turn from his seat and look towards the door. Willow was the first to walk in and even quickly started to make her way over towards him. Her face seemed a bit irritated, which was a bit odd.
However, he guessed the reason was tied to either Nicholas or the man that was walking beside him. He hadn't seen this particular person before, so he guessed that it was likely a guest of some kind. Considering Summer's team was there, he guessed that other Vale teams may have been there. Considering he was walking with Nicholas, Shirou had to guess that he was likely a teacher of some kind.
The first thing that he noticed was the man's white hair, though he did take note that there was some bits that were still dark. He was dressed in a black suit with dark green pants and a green undershirt. Despite his apparent young age, looking to be in his late twenties, he carried a cane of some sorts with him.
However, as he noticed the cane, he felt a pang of discomfort, nearly causing him to wince. The cane was old, very old, nearing 1000 years. If it was in his world, the cane would have likely been counted as a relic on the same level as a noble phantasm. That wasn't counting the strange magic that it held within it.
The cane itself wasn't what caused him discomfort, it was whatever magic was in it. It was ancient and the mystery of it was on par with some very old relics he encountered in his world. It was the first example of magic he had seen in this world, with its nature going completely against what he knew of thaumaturgy and magic.
The fact this man had it, as well as the fact that the man's scent was completely different from everyone else's, being closer to a mage's, was enough to cause him to be on edge. Despite the cane causing him discomfort, he felt the need to read the history of the weapon.
Needless to say, what he was able to gleam from the history wasn't something he was happy about. The history was confusing and a jumbled mess, which was odd considering how all of the weapons he'd traced before hadn't had that problem. However, the important part he was able to see was that this man was a similar kind of being as Roa and a few other parasitical beings.
Needless to say, Ozpin was the same kind of creature as the ones he was tasked with hunting down. The same kind of creature that brought so much pain to Ciel and so many others. The reminder of that was enough to give Shirou an instant dislike for whatever was walking towards him. Even worse, it had access to a mystic code that had a foreign and ancient magic that was not to be underestimated.
If it was a threat, he wouldn't hesitate to do his best to protect Willow and Nicholas, but it was best to play things safe at the moment. He didn't want to destroy the Schnee home fighting it, and that kind of collateral damage was inevitable. Even then, the unknown factor of the magic it wielded made things more complicated. Not to mention, it was in a high social position, meaning it was near impossible to make a move without it causing problems for the Schnee's at present.
Needless to say, he was stuck in a position where being courteous and feigning ignorance was the best course of action. He was still interested in whatever information he could glean from the cane at a late time, as he noticed a few troubling details, but for now, he needed to focus on this. Thankfully, Willow's presence was able to calm him and keep him from making any rash decisions.
Willow was rather annoyed at the current moment. After Shirou's show in the training room, she was able to get Shirou to rest afterwards and wait to spar with Summer. That had taken some convincing on her part, but she was able to get it done. Summer was very excited to spar with him, especially after the showing he made against Raven.
According to her, Raven was likely the best fighter on her team, after her of course. Though she mentioned someone named Qrow as a close second. Needless to say, she was impressed. However, she knew how skilled Summer was and knew that if the two sparred, Shirou would likely end up with a few more injuries than he started with.
That wasn't making light of Shirou's abilities, it was just how good Summer was. So, she made sure to make them wait until Shirou's injuries were fully healed. Besides, she wanted to actually get to spend a bit more time with him. Partially to try and help him remember more of his past, but also to know more about him as well.
She wanted him to know that he could trust her. But, she couldn't do that unless she was able to be around him and make sure he was comfortable with her. So, after talking with Summer a bit in the room she had some maids prepare, she was going to make her way to the library.
Unfortunately, her father sent her a message telling her about Ozpin, so she had to meet with her father first, if only to keep up appearances. The man made her a bit uncomfortable, though she didn't understand why. Then again, she felt like her father was similar.
After doing the usual meet and greet, her dad asked her to lead them to Shirou. Apparently, Ozpin wanted to meet him after seeing him spar with Raven. Willow was going to make sure to talk to her father about that later, but for now, she had to begrudgingly do as she was told.
She wasn't happy about Ozpin's apparent interest in Shirou, considering she knew how he recruited others for his Academy. The fact that he recruited Raven and Qrow, her brother, she knew he would do what he could to get Shirou to become a huntsman of Vale. Then again, Shirou mentioned that he wasn't too keen on that idea.
When she led them into the library, she wasn't surprised to see Shirou sitting at a terminal with a few books nearby. It was obvious that he was studying up everything he could find, though she was a little surprised to see that he was interested in Menagerie of all places. Then there was the books about different stories he had, some being children stories. It was a bit odd.
Of course, she could ask him about that later, but it was interesting. She wanted to get Shirou ready and maybe warn him, so she made sure to hurry to his side. However, she noticed that he was locked into Ozpin's arrival. She noticed his eyes seemingly focus in on his cane, before seeing a slight change in his demeanor.
It was so slight that she doubted anyone would have noticed. She was surprised she even noticed, though she told herself it was because she was so close to him when it happened. It was obvious, to her at least, that he was defensive, ready to attack at any moment. It was different from when he was fighting Raven, it was like he was looking at something not human.
It only lasted for a moment, but what she felt in that moment felt like it lasted for awhile. Thankfully, the moment he saw her next to him, he calmed down and he returned to his normal self. Though, she wasn't naive enough to believe that it was nothing. He was calm, but it was likely because she was there.
Shirou had saved her life and in the short amount of time she's known him, he's proven to be a trustworthy and kind person. She trusted him, probably with her life. Was that unreasonable considering the amount of time she had known him? Maybe. But it didn't change the fact that she did.
It was because of this fact that she trusted in her instincts when it came to him. The fact that he reacted in such a way was enough to send a tingle down her spine. What did he see? What caused him to react that way? If it was enough to get a reaction like that, then she knew that her instincts about Ozpin were right. She just didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
And done. This chapter was meant to get this part of the story done and move onto Ozpin. The next chapter will be the meeting of Shirou and Ozpin, as well as introduce the thoughts the two have on each other. Shirou's encountered quite a few things before, most being hostile. Soul hopping beings aren't positive for him, so naturally, he'd react badly. I wanted to show a bit about the relation Shirou and Willow have with each other, with Willow even noting how odd it is. Shirou, does notice this and will comment on it more. Raven will have more to do next chapter, along with Summer. Tai and Qrow will also be meeting Shirou, which will be quite interesting. It's slow going, but as time passes, I want to show the impact Shirou has on the world, specifically the Schnee's and Atlas. The story won't only take place in Atlas. It will change from place to place, though the main focus will be on Shirou and Willow primarily. I'll also be showing what part the White Fang played in the part of Willow's abduction, as well as Jacques. I'll probably also have Shirou meet him next chapter as well, but I'm debating on whether or not to wait, since I want it to be important. I've also hinted at a few other things in this chapter, so we'll see how it goes. I will show some of this Shirou's backstory as the story goes on, dropping other little hints as well. This part of RWBY's history isn't explored, so I can pretty much explore it to my heart's content, which is pretty great. It makes it a lot easier, but also a bit tougher in some regards. Lost Hero of Chaldea is being worked on, I did have to go back and change some things, which have lengthened some things, but it's coming. I'm also working on a few other chapters as well, so those may come out sooner, it depends. I may also release another Sword and Vanadis chapter, because I have that mapped out. Let me know if there are any other stories you want a chapter on sooner and I'll try and get it out. As for now, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I appreciate all the support and the reviews you all leave, it helps me out a bunch, so thanks. If you have questions, feel free to ask, I usually answer. Thanks for reading and, as always, until next time.