Chapter 5

A curious oddity, at least that was what Ozpin had initially thought of Shirou Hortensia when Nicholas spoke of him. A person who showed up out of nowhere, with amnesia, yet had proven to himself to trustworthy enough to allow him near his beloved daughter. The way Nicholas talked about the boy was as if he was talking about a child he had raised. Yet, it was odd, considering the amount of time he had known him.

The amount of trust Nicholas had in the boy was odd, but he wrote it off as merely thanks for saving his daughter from a horrible fate. A part of him had mused that the boy could have been one of Her spies, but Nicholas had mentioned how honest the boy was. Plus, a young man that age wasn't exactly Salem's style. At least, not when it came to spies.

Still, it was enough to warrant some interest from him. After all, his school often looked for talent wherever it could be found. He still had hopes he could convince Willow to join his school. He knew how potent the Schnee family's semblance was. Nicholas may be a jovial, doting father now, but he was warrior of renown as well. Even now, experienced huntsman teams would be hard pressed to defeat a man like Nicholas Schnee without taking losses.

That rare inherited semblance was a game changer on the battlefield if utilized correctly. Willow Schnee also appeared to have the talent and willpower to become a fine huntress in the future. So, he naturally wanted to scout her for his academy. She had unfortunately turned him down, but he still believed she may come around. Though, he did know she wanted to try and take some of the burden off of her father, so he wasn't holding his breath.

So, when he saw talented individuals, he couldn't help but become interested. He would admit it started when Raven and Summer appeared to grab their gear for a spar, as the two girls rarely showed that much interest in others. Summer could have been written off, as she was an excitable girl at times, but Raven, that was a surprise. Raven made no effort to hide her disdain for her fellow students and their lack of skill. Her brother and her were better than most, with Raven likely being the more skilled of the two. That wasn't mentioning her killer instinct.

So, when Raven actually showed interest in the boy, Ozpin had to see what it was that caught her eye. Needless to say, he was able to see what it was. The first half of the fight seemed like nothing more than a spar that was meant to feel each other out. At least, until Shirou sent Raven into a wall with martial arts. Hand to hand combatants were rare to find, and most were usually centered around their semblance. Yet, it was clear that Shirou was skilled with both weapons and his body.

It was something that caused him to realize that he was trained to fight human opponents. That wasn't a common skill set. Then something even stranger happened, the two stopped and started talking, leading to Shirou seemingly activating his semblance to face Raven. He summoned two swords to his hands. They weren't the weapons of a hunstman. There was no shifting parts or anything. They were simple blades, though their craftsmanship did set them apart.

Then he challenged Raven, speaking words that obviously held weight in the Branwen tribe. From Qrow's expression, it might have been a bigger deal than he thought it was. Still, the second half of the spar was different from the first. This time, Shirou was in charge. His skill was obviously far greater than Raven's, far greater than most huntsman even. He was like a different person, with even his overall demeanor shifting. Ozpin had lived for a very long time. So, he could tell that Shirou was someone who had killed before.

Nicholas already knew this, of course. The result of the spar wasn't in question, though the end was a bit of a surprise, with Shirou once again utilizing his martial arts to defeat his opponent. He obviously wanted to meet him, which Nicholas was more than happy to oblige. On the way, Nicholas told him that he was of the belief that Shirou was likely a soldier of some kind. His amnesia and sudden appearance likely being tied together somehow. Who he was and where he was from, well, Nicholas didn't really care. It was clear to Ozpin that Nicholas only cared about helping the boy.

Considering his past, Ozpin could easily understand why that was. He was too young to bear such weight. Still, Ozpin felt like he could also help the boy, if he was interested. Though, Nicholas seemed to know something that he didn't. Considering the way his daughter rushed to the boy's side when they entered the room he was in, he was inclined to believe that it had something to do with her. Especially after he noticed the young man tense up for a moment, before seeing her beside him.

'Strange.' It wasn't the usual reaction he was used to. Still, considering the boy's training, he was likely always on edge. "Shirou, I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is Beacon's headmaster, Professor Ozpin." Nicholas introduced him, with Ozpin holding out his hand with a friendly smile on his face. Shirou looked down at his hand for a moment, before returned the gesture with a small smile of his own.

"It's nice to meet you, Professor." He said to him, before releasing his hand and taking a step back. "I'm a little puzzled though. I'm not sure what would warrant a meeting with someone of your position." He continued, though Ozpin noticed that Shirou was positioned to perfectly be able to protect Willow, should anything occur to endanger her.

'It seems she is rather important to him.' He thought, a bit upset at that fact. It would mean his plan to recruit the boy to his school wouldn't work. He maintained his kind smile. "Well, thanks to Nicholas's generosity, I was able to observe your spar against Raven." He informed them, with Willow narrowing her eyes at her father, her cheeks bowing up in a pout. It was clear that Willow didn't wish for Shirou's abilities to be made public.

"I was able to see that you are rather skilled and talented in combat. As the headmaster of Beacon Academy, I am always on the lookout for promising new students. I suppose you could say that I was rather interested in scouting you for our school." He told him, with Shirou raising a brow, before seemingly thinking on his words. He noticed Willow look at Shirou with a worried expression.

"I see." He replied, before shaking his head. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid that I'll have to decline. Leaving aside the fact that I'm an amnesiac, I don't believe I'd be a very good fit for your school. Plus, I'd rather do what I can to pay back the Schnee's for their hospitality." He added rather formally. Willow looked towards the boy with a puzzled expression for a moment, before looking back towards Ozpin.

"That is rather unfortunate. However, I won't pressure you into it. Should you ever change your mind, either you or miss Schnee, all you need to do is contact me and I'll take care of the rest." Ozpin said with a hum. Willow looked relieved, though the boy hadn't relaxed for even a moment. It was quite a unique interaction, all things considered. "That's all I wished to discuss with you at the moment. For now, I believe I should go and have a word with my students. Should you wish to speak with me further, just let me know. With the Vytal Festival in full swing, I'll certainly be available. It's been a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Ozpin stated, before turning to Nicholas.

"Shall we wait to discuss business until everyone is settled?" He asked him, with Nicholas letting out a small huff.

"Very well. I'll show you the room where your students are resting." He told him, before looking towards Shirou and Willow. "Willow, feel free to accompany Shirou for the rest of the day. I can take care of everything from here on." He then smiled at his daughter, before giving a small nod to Shirou, and proceeding to lead him away.

Ozpin would admit to finding the boy rather intriguing. There was also the mystery behind the boy's semblance. While he had no doubt that there could be one like that, he had to admit that his semblance was rather unique. The circuits, his ability to catch Raven's blade, and even the swords he created, it was very interesting. He hoped to keep an eye the boy. Considering his worries for the future, it was in his best interest to keep an eye on potential allies he could trust.

Shirou watched as Nicholas walked out of the room with the thing calling itself Ozpin. He would have been worried, but he had a feeling that Nicholas was more than capable of taking care of himself. Still, the whole interaction he had with it was rather uncomfortable. It acted normal enough, but Shirou has no way of knowing how much was an act and how much was legitimate.

There was a chance he was being paranoid, but considering his past experiences, he felt he was justified. Besides, even without Shirou knowing what it was, there was something about the thing that bothered him. When he interacted with him, it felt like when he first spoke with Zouken. It was just uncomfortable. Still, it was cordial and didn't seem to react to the shroud Ciel had made for him. If it was what he thought it was, then it should reacted negatively to it, but it didn't.

There was also his cross, but just seeing his cross wouldn't have been enough to tell. Still, despite being so close to his shroud, which would have definitely had an affect on a dead apostle thanks to certain properties it held, Ozpin didn't react in any manner. So, Shirou wasn't sure what Ozpin was. He looked and felt human enough. He just couldn't get a read on him. His scent also played into that, smelling similar to a mage, who Shirou, admittedly, hadn't had the best interactions with. Rin was an exception to that, as was Bazett and Illya.

Thankfully, as soon as the door shut, Shirou was able to breathe easy. He immediately relaxed. He realized that his body was tensed as if faced with a dead apostle, despite not wearing, nor having, any of his gear with him. 'I really need to find replacements for my gear.' He thought with a shake of his head. "Are you alright, Shirou?" He heard behind him, causing him to remember that Willow was still with him. He turned, seeing her looking at him with a worried expression. Judging from her position, he had instinctively moved to protect her.

Still, he was thankful for her presence. He may not have consciously knew about his actions, but Willow did help him out quite a bit. She kept him levelheaded and even helped him calm himself when he first realized Ozpin wasn't normal. He still wondered why Willow had that kind of effect on him, despite not knowing her for long. "It's fine. I mean I'm fine." He replied to her, forcing a small smile onto his face. Willow easily saw through it.

She stepped forward, looking him clear in the eyes. "Don't you dare lie to me, Shirou." She said, pointing her finger at him authoritatively. "You were clearly on edge, at least you were to me. Now, I want you to tell me what has you so bothered." She continued, making sure to emphasize her point by poking him in the chest. Shirou looked down at her, blinking a few times at her forward manner of speaking. Shirou began thinking about what exactly to tell her. Her eyes narrowed for a moment. "Do you not trust me?"

Those words caused Shirou's mind to come to a complete stop. 'I shouldn't.' He thought to himself. 'I really shouldn't.' He closed his eyes before sighing. 'But I do for some reason.' "What do you know about Ozpin? I mean, what does anyone really know about him?" He asked her, causing her to tilt her head questioningly. It was clearly not something she expected to hear.

"Um, not much. Then again, I live here in Atlas, so whatever happens in Vale isn't something I'm all that knowledgeable about, other than what Summer tells me. All I know about Ozpin is that he was made the headmaster at a young age, much younger than just about anyone really. I think he was a huntsman before that, but it's just general knowledge. Though, I'll admit that I always felt a little weird around him. I can't really explain why. Why do you ask?" She said, bringing a finger up to her cheek. Shirou actually raised a brow at that. 'Some sort of sensitivity maybe?'

"My semblance." He decided to explain it in a way she'd understand. While he may trust her, he still didn't know if he wanted to tell her about his true origin, for multiple reasons. The images of a burning Fuyuki, towns filled with corpses, and even images of himself covered in blood flashed through his eyes. He shook his head. 'Not the time.' "Trace on." He whispered, activating his circuits. He held out his hand and summoned Raven's weapon, Omen, in his hands, scabbard and all. Though, it didn't have any dust in it. 'That's disappointing, but expected.' Willow obviously looked at the weapon in wonder.

"It allows me to analyze a weapon, the history, the wielder's skill, and recreate it. Though it seems dust isn't something I can recreate." He had some ideas on why that was, but they weren't important right now. It was obvious that Willow thought this was incredible, considering the look on her face. "Ozpin's cane, it's his weapon. It's called The Long Memory, and it's very old, thousands of years even." He explained, seeing Willow listening to him after hearing Ozpin's name. "The weapon is his."

"So, he has a weapon that's super old. I can understand how that'd shock you, but you weren't shocked. You looked like, like you were looking at something not human. And I don't mean a grimm, I mean like a monster or something." She explained, her eyes conveying her worries. Shirou took a deep breath, before looking directly into her eyes.

"It's because I saw the history of that weapon, some of it at least. What I saw was Ozpin, but it was like he was jumping from body to body. One body would die, grow old, get sick, or get killed, but his weapon ended up in his hands again. I thought maybe it was just passed down, or that it was found, but that wasn't the case. Each person was Ozpin." He told her, before shaking his head. "I don't know how it's possible, but it's the truth." Shirou actually thought about telling her about Roa and Zouken, and the other beings he had faced like that, but knew that he'd have to explain who he was and where he came from. That wasn't something he wanted to share just yet.

Willow looked at him, not saying anything. It was easy to tell that she was mulling over everything he said. Considering what he had seen when looking through the library and books, this likely sounded unbelievable. Magic was something only mentioned in children's books. What he just said was magic that wasn't even thought of in that world. Immortality through body hopping was insane, at least, in this world. In his world, it was something that only heretics tried. Those obsessed with immortality wouldn't even try it, mainly because of the degradation of the soul.

Not even Roa was able to get past that flaw. Yet, in this new world, Ozpin was able to do so without any harm to his soul. At least, seemingly no harm. What he saw wasn't all that detailed, and it was a jumbled mess, but it was clear how it worked. After all, his body's appearance would always begin to match the soul's appearance after awhile. What Ozpin did was the equivalent of true magic. The thing was, he wasn't even sure if Ozpin had any control over it. What he was able to understand was that it appeared random. 'A curse maybe?' It was possible. Still, he wanted to keep him at arm's length and away from the people he cared about. After all, there had to be a reason for this ability. 'Heck, for all I know it's his semblance.'

It was too little information for him. He didn't want to take the chance that this thing was actually dangerous and anger it. If it was able to use magic like that, he wasn't sure how well he'd fare without any of his hunting gear. He had no access to the scriptures, other than Gamaliel, but that was it. 'Perhaps I should build up my arsenal while I can. Make a plan, get more information, and if it becomes necessary, destroy Ozpin and his soul for good. That was only in the worst case scenario. For all he knew, he was just a poor sucker with a cursed semblance or cursed soul. 'Perhaps building trust with him would be a good idea. If I can get him to trust me enough, he may be willing to tell me himself. That is, if he's nothing like a mage from my world. If he is, then it'd be better for me to eliminate him anyway.'

"You're being serious." He heard Willow say in a quiet, but serious voice. She looked up at him, shaking a little. "You're completely serious about what you saw." She actually took a step back, her eyes shifting nervously to the door and back to him. For a moment, he thought she was thinking that he was crazy and was about to run away. But, to his surprise, she hurried forward and grabbed onto his shirt. "He isn't dangerous right?! My dad's with him. Then there's Summer, plus Vale." She began to speak quickly, obviously panicked. Shirou was mainly just surprised that she believed him. "W-W-What do we do?"

Shirou's eyes widened the moment he noticed Willow's eyes beginning to water up. He felt something twist his heart when he saw it. Without thinking about it, Shirou dismissed Omen and hugged the frightened girl. He had told her the truth without even thinking about the consequences. It was very unlike him. 'What came over me?! Am I an idiot?' The answer he came to was, yes, he was an idiot. To be fair, he didn't think she'd believe him.

"It's okay, Willow. Everything's going to be okay." He tried to reassure her. "I didn't see anything that made him seem dangerous or evil. I just panicked when I saw him and his weapon." He added, as he rubbed the girl's back. He remembered Caren doing something similar when he had a nightmare. "Besides, I wouldn't allow anything to harm you or the people you care about." The image of purple hair flashed through his eyes, causing him to grit his teeth, before willing it away. 'Never again.'

Willow was kind of freaking out. And it wasn't even entirely about the Ozpin thing anymore. That was still rather huge, don't get her wrong, but Shirou's words did do a lot to calm her down from her panicking. What was currently freaking her out was that Shirou was hugging her. He was actively comforting her and she could definitely feel how strong he was. His muscles were like steel fibers. Despite this, he was really warm and his embrace made her feel safe. His words even more so, because she believed them.

She still didn't know why, but she did, even if she shouldn't. She didn't care though. She actually felt like a princess from one of her books at the moment, and she refused to let her mind get in the way of that. Shirou was her knight, and as such, she knew he would do anything to protect them, even find a way to defeat a seemingly immortal man, thing, creature? She didn't know what to call him. 'Ozpin. I'll just call him Ozpin.' She thought to herself with a wry smile.

'Ridiculous. Could someone even imagine such a situation? Hey, Shirou, there's the Ozpin!' She let out a little giggle at the absurdity of labeling Ozpin as just an Ozpin. It was enough to make her feel a bit better.

She almost let out a girlish shriek, barely keeping it in as she thought, 'It really is like one of my books! The princess is threatened by a hidden danger, only for the mysterious knight to ride into her life, vowing to protect her with all his might. The evil magician makes his appearance and casts his spells, but all are blocked by the mysterious knight. But, he is left weak. It is only through the Princess's words and love that allow the knight to finally defeat the evil magician.' She gripped Shirou's shirt tight.

Shirou looked down at her seriously. "I swear, Willow. I'll protect you with all of my abilities and all of my strength." Willow's face immediately reddened. 'Stupid Shirou, saying lines like that like they're no problem.' Willow hid her face from him for a moment, before looking him in the eyes again, though her cheeks were still lightly red.

"I believe you, Shirou." She responded. "But, there's something I want you to do for me. Especially because of what you've told me." She continued, seeing Shirou tilt his head questioning, before nodding. She then smiled at him. "Train me." Those were her simple words. Words that kind of caught Shirou off guard. "You being the gallant knight you are, likely wish to go it alone. However, I will not be a helpless princess who needs saving. Train me, so that I can protect you and the things you care about too." Her words were strong as steel, until the end, where she changed into a softer tone, pulling away from him enough to place a hand on his heart.

Shirou paused, looking at her for a moment, before she noticed his eyes scan her body up and down. Willow may have stood a little straighter and emphasized certain parts of her body, but that was so he could find whatever he was looking for, plus she kind of wanted to show off her body to him a bit. She had worked hard for it, after all.

"Are you absolutely sure that you want me to train you?" He asked for confirmation. 'It'll give me more time together with him, allowing me to learn more about him in the process'. She nodded resolutely. Shirou smirked a bit. "Very well. Tomorrow morning around 6 a.m, meet me in the training room. We'll start there." He then turned away, before making his way to his jacket. Willow would admit that she missed him being co close. Still, this gave her a second to think about Ozpin.

If he wasn't evil, and if Shirou couldn't tell what he wanted, then what was the plan? As it was, she felt uncomfortable around him, and her dad didn't really trust him all that much. So, what was the plan? 'Do we tell dad? Maybe the council?' She shook her head. "What do we do about Ozpin?" She asked Shirou, knowing that he likely had a plan. Shirou paused, before putting on the jacket. She admitted that he looked rather noble wearing the full suit. 'He'd look better without the bandages though.' She thought to herself, noticing the ones on his face.

"For now, we keep an eye on him. Like I said, he didn't seem hostile in any way. I don't think there's a need for us to do anything right now. Besides, he's the headmaster of Vale. I'm just an amnesiac with no background. What do we even tell people? No one would believe us. It's best we keep this between us for now." He replied. Willow had to admit that was probably true. With no proof, other than Shirou's semblance, no one would believe them.

She felt a bit put off by that, but decided not to let it bother her too much. For now, she just wanted to focus on getting stronger, that way she could help Shirou in the future when he needed it. Plus, this would likely be one of the best ways to know more about him. She had to admit, she was interested in how Shirou would train her. Before she could think about it more, she noticed Shirou standing in front of her. She looked at him with a puzzled expression. Shirou looked at her with a small smile, before holding out his hand.

"I got this for you." He said simply, holding out a small box. Willow blinked a few times. She reached out and took the box in her hands. She a was little confused, considering she hadn't seen Shirou buy her anything. She opened it, revealing a pair of blue diamond earrings. The earrings appeared to have a slight glow, and if you looked closely enough, you could make out white snowflake-like sparkles inside of the diamond thanks to the dust added to them. They were very beautiful earrings, ones she had looked at during their time out together.

She narrowed her eyes a bit, knowing that Shirou likely bought them when she wasn't looking somehow. It was enough to tell her that Shirou could be quite sneaky when he wanted to be. Though, she couldn't help but smile at the gift. "I noticed you looking at them, so I decided to buy them for you with the money your dad gave me for helping you." He added, while rubbing the back of his head.

"Thank you, Shirou." She replied, looking at the the earrings rather closely, her smile still present on her face. "I, uh, w-what are you planning on doing now?" She quickly asked, looking up at Shirou, who shrugged.

"I was thinking about going to work on dinner, since we'll likely have quite a few guests." He answered, with Willow a bit surprised he was willing to cook for them again.

"You know that you don't have to do that, right? We have chefs who'd be out of a job if you started cooking for us all the time." She told him, causing him to let out a small chuckle.

"Are you only saying that because you want my cooking for yourself?" Shirou replied with a grin, causing Willow's cheeks to redden. "But you are correct. Maybe I'll have to figure out something else."

"I could show you around the mansion." Willow quickly suggested. She knew he hadn't been properly show around yet, so it'd be best to familiarize himself with where he'd be staying for the foreseeable future. She didn't even humor the thought of him staying anywhere else. He said he would train her, so she just figured he'd be staying with them. Besides, he didn't have anywhere to go, considering his amnesia. Amnesia that Willow was beginning to believe wasn't completely amnesia, but she wasn't sure just yet. Still, she wanted to keep him close. Shirou was obviously special and her father liked him, so it would be a big loss if Shirou were to disappear somewhere, or go to another kingdom.

It had been her excuse before. So, she would continue to use it as her justification, at least, if she was ever asked about it. Honestly, she just wanted him to stay because she was interested in him and who he was. He was a mystery and she liked mysteries. Whether or not there were other reasons behind it, she wouldn't say. At least for now. Shirou smiled at her suggestion. "That sounds like a good idea. Why don't you lead the way milady?" Willow let out a small groan at what he called her, causing him to chuckle a bit.

"What do you mean they claimed to be White Fang?" A large man with cat-like ears asked, anger building on his face. The one informing him cowered a bit at his anger.

"S-Sir, I was reporting w-what we were told. The Schnee convoy was attacked by faunus and that's what they claimed. T-The Schnee heiress escaped unharmed though." He quickly explained, with the man growling at the words.

"Perhaps, it would be best to reach out to the Schnee's? After all, an attack on their heiress is likely to anger quite a few people in Atlas. She is quite well liked, after all." A woman added, causing him to sigh.

"It's important we get in front of this. Should this news break out, faunus living in Atlas, and even Mantle, could face the consequences of the actions of these fools." He stated, sitting back in his chair. He couldn't help but sigh in frustration.

"I can do it. You're needed here. I can handle the affairs in Atlas for now. Besides, Nicholas Schnee seems like a reasonable man. I'm sure I'll be able to explain everything to him." She told him, smiling as she spoke.

"Very well. If you can get information on those faunus who attacked the heiress as well, we could figure out who did this much quicker. I'm sure it'd be much appreciated." He replied.

"Of course. Getting to them won't be a problem." She responded, before seemingly disappearing from sight. He let out a sigh. 'That still freaks me out.'

"Alright, stop." Shirou called out, followed by Willow's body crumpling to the ground. "You did quite well. Your speed and endurance is great. However, we'll have to work on your stamina and strength." He explained, placing a water bottle next to Willow. He then grabbed his church halberd and began to run through some basic drills as Willow recovered. She was obviously exhausted, though it was necessary for Shirou to see where she was at physically.

"So, you don't train your aura at all during this?" Summer asked, sitting on a nearby bench. They were currently in the large garden, as fresh air was preferable to a closed in space like a room. Shirou noticed that Raven was nearby as well, seeing her going through some drills with her sword, causing him to grin a bit. He looked back at Summer and shook his head.

"No. I was trained not to rely on aura. We trained our bodies to go beyond their limits. Besides, the thought was, if our bodies are strong, fast, and durable, imagine what we could accomplish with aura as well?" He explained, though he was obviously putting into terms she'd understand. Aura, it was quite the fascinating thing. Shirou looked down at his hand for a moment, flexing it slowly. His earlier thought that it was tied to a person's life force, or the lesser source. It turned out that wasn't the case, at least, not completely.

Aura came from the soul and could be used and recharged all the time. It didn't seem like there was any ill effects from using it all up either, unlike the lesser source, where pushing your circuits could damage them and your body. Their aura couldn't be increased either, which sort of lined up with magic circuits, since those were the representation of the soul. He almost got a headache when he thought about it. Aura and magic circuits were technically the same thing, being manifestations of the soul, but were also completely different in function. A semblance, now those were where it became even more complicated for him.

Semblances were powered by aura and were unique to everyone, though there were resemblances. The books he read the previous night held a lot of knowledge, but they were completely different from what he understood. The closest thing to a semblance he could think of, was a reality marble, yet, once again, they were completely and utterly different. The reason it was bothering him so much, was because he could feel a difference in this world. He felt different. His circuits were still fine and functioned normally, as did all of his sacraments, at least the ones he tested in his room.

Yet, as he looked at his hand, he felt clearer and lighter. He noticed it when he awoke, but he chalked it up to being able to rest after not doing so for so long. No, there was a difference here. He doubted he had aura, as he still had no convenient shield, but there was something that he couldn't put his finger on. He momentarily thought about his reality marble, wondering if some sort of change occurred. He wanted to rip his hair out from frustration, but he calmed himself down. 'Now's not the time. Study and research will help me gather my thoughts.'

"So, would that help us with becoming better huntsmen?" She asked him, with Shirou focusing his thoughts on the matter at hand. "I mean, could your training help us get stronger? I mean, you're obviously strong, but is that something you'd recommend?" She asked him so more, likely wanting to know for herself. Shirou thought about it for a moment, since it was mostly just a theory at the moment, but he was pretty certain his hunch was correct.

"It couldn't hurt. Besides, should you run out of aura, you'll be able to fight on and survive whatever broke your aura in the first place." He answered her. Having a healthy and strong body was important for anyone who wanted to use thaumaturgy, as the lesser source was influenced by the body. Executors were trained in many ways, though physical training was the most basic. It was brutal training, but any who made it out were granted with the title of Executor. He wouldn't want to put Willow or anyone else through that kind of training, for many reasons, but also because if they didn't have the willpower, it'd likely break them.

'Not that I could recreate that training in the first place.' He thought with wry smile. That training was usually held in special abbeys, with certain people overseeing it. He spun the halberd around in his hand. His own training was oversaw by a knight of the church, which is why he had the halberd in the first place. It was also why he was able to trace Gamaliel. Anyways, the one who trained him was particularly focused on building up his strength, which is where the halberd came in. It was heavy, rather, it was insanely heavy.

In his world, one without aura, it was necessity in order to face monsters, especially if you sucked at thaumaturgy like him, save for his own specialty. Even then, his circuits were nothing special. He mentally sighed. It was no use thinking about such things. He would still train Willow to the best of his abilities. He would also do it so she didn't rely on her aura. Not to say he wouldn't help her get better at that either. He had come up with a regimen that would increase her efficiency with her aura and her semblance.

"I think your insane if you managed to do this everyday when you were trained." Willow added, before taking a drink from the bottle Shirou placed next to her. Shirou could only let out a small amused huff, before smirking at her.

"This is rather light compared to what I was put through." He shot back. Willow and Summer's eyes both widened at his response. 'I've had swords shot at me by Gil and was trained to the verge of death by both Gil and my mentor. Needless to say, Willow should be glad that I actually understand the limits of a normal human, unlike those monsters.' He thought, mentally scoffing at those memories.

"Were you trained by monsters?" Summer asked him, mirroring his thoughts. Shirou simply shrugged.

"I'm still alive aren't I?" Was his reply. Though he noticed Willow looking a bit solemn at his response. He noticed that she seemed to look at his chest for a moment, before her eyes looked back down towards the ground. He couldn't help but wonder why that was. He didn't see why she would worry about him, or grow sad by what he said. 'Not like I deserve it in the first place.'

"Where's the rest of your team, Summer? Even if they didn't want to train or watch, it's still a beautiful day out." He asked her, with Summer pouting a bit.

"They're sleeping in. They said something about wanting to be lazy on their day off." Summer answered, letting out a small scoff. Shirou couldn't help but chuckle at that. Judging from the look in Summer's eyes, he felt he should offer up a prayer for them when they woke up.

"Shirou, did you want to head back into the city today?" Willow asked. Shirou looked at her, seeing her smiling at him. "You don't have that many clothes to wear, other than what we have on hand that is. It'd probably be best to try and get you some new clothes and gear, you know?" Shirou blinked a few times. He did want to get replacements for what he had lost. Plus, he was stuck in this world for the foreseeable future. Honestly, he couldn't think of any way to get home currently, so it was probably best to plan for the long run.

He nodded, "You're right, thanks for the suggestion. I'm guessing you know of a few places we could go to?" He asked, with Willow smirking softly. She jumped to her feet, having recovered from her workout.

"Of course, after all, we do own a few of those places." She stated proudly. He couldn't help but shake his head in amusement. Summer quickly appeared, jumping onto Willow's back, who managed to hold her up, despite her recovering muscles being rather shaky.

"Oh, can I come too!? We could go out and have a bunch of fun today, since we didn't get to do much yesterday." Summer asked excitedly, a large smile on her face. Willow looked at her friend, before sighing with a tired smile.

"Fine, you can come too, Sum." She told her, with Summer hopping off and making some happy noises. Shirou couldn't help but smile at the two's interaction. It reminded him of the happier times he spent with those close to him. He prayed that the Holy Grail War had a happy conclusion after Jeanne's sacrifice and his arrival in the this world. Deep in his heart, he felt it all turned out well in the end. As he was thinking that, one of the maids made their way over towards them. Shirou noticed Raven's eyes narrow at the arriving maid.

Considering she had a look of urgency, Shirou felt like it was because of something important. She quickly made her way towards Willow before speaking. "Milady, your father asked me to inform you to please come see him in his study. He also asked me to tell you to bring Sir Shirou as well." Willow frowned for a moment, before looking over towards him. Shirou raised a brow, not knowing what to say. She then looked back towards the maid.

"Did he give you a reason why?" She asked for clarification. The maid's eyes shifted back and forth, before sighing.

"Um, I believe it is because of a certain visitor of yours, milady." She clarified, causing Willow to stiffen. Shirou looked over towards Summer, who had a frown on her face. Shirou had a feeling that whoever it was, Summer didn't like him very much. Funnily enough, this told Shirou everything he needed to know. Considering Summer's cheery disposition, as well as the information he could gleam from their conversations and her weapon, she always tried to see the best in everyone. After all, she considered Raven one of her best friends.

So, for her to dislike someone, well, he had a feeling he wasn't going to like this person very much either.

Another chapter done. I'm trying to knock these out quick. We'll see how it keeps going. I may release the Sekirei draft I have, simply because I have it. It was written mostly for fun, so it's probably not all that great, but whatever. It was thanks to reading the first few chapters of In Flight and wanting to do my own thing with the beginning of that story where he meets his family. Eh, who knows. I'll think about it.

Anyways, on to the chapter. Shirou and Ozpin's meeting was short, but I wanted to keep it nice and short, rather than drawing it out. They'll have more interactions, because Ozpin's interested in Shirou, and Shirou wants to know if he needs to kill Ozpin. The Church sees vampires as a disease that infects humanity, so they kill them whenever and however they can. Like they literally hunt them down like crazy, but anyone who knows about them knows that. Shirou doesn't know for sure if that's what Ozpin is, as he couldn't see anything like that, nor did he react like a dead apostle. He's obviously angry about how he reincarnates, but he still needs to be sure. So, more interactions and I hope to make them entertaining.

I also wanted to move on with the story, so yeah. But, I also wanted to hint that Shirou and Willow do have a connection with each other. She trusts him and he trusts her, despite not knowing each other that long. I really like writing their interactions, as well as showing kind of who younger Willow is. It's fun to explore this facet of who she is. She wants to be strong, but it's clear that she is also kind of a romantic. Considering how she actually tried to make her marriage with Jacques work in the Canon story, I can see that being true. It would make sense if he managed to sweet talk her into a relationship and everything and she was just easily tricked because of that fact. So, I wanted to reflect that with her thoughts.

I also wanted to show off Shirou's thoughts about the world and its mechanics. I'm playing around with some of that and their similarities. Shirou obviously noticed that but because of how weird it is compared to what he knows, he's a little blown away. I also hinted at a few things from his past life and his regrets and what not. Also, wanted to show a bit of how he was trained, but mostly through context. There's also the hint towards the next chapter and obviously who is going to be in it. This will be moving on pretty quick after this, since I want to start moving along Shirou and Willow's relationship, as well as getting to Shirou helping out the Schnee's and the world itself. Plus, I want to show off Shirou's interaction with the places he visits. He may change the lives a few people as the story goes on too, who knows.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed reading. I had fun writing this chapter. Thanks for all the support and reviews, they really help me out and are a big motivation. Feel free to ask questions, I usually try to answer. Once again, thanks for reading the chapter, I hope you enjoyed it, and, as always, until next time.