Chapter 6

Shirou was under the belief that he had dealt with most things in life. Mainly because he had dealt with most things that life could offer. Well, at least he thought so. Still, he understood that he wasn't some wise old sage. He was still 17 years old after all. He had just been forced to mature at a much younger age than most, ironically skipping over things that may have assisted him in this endeavor.

"Dad, can't you just, I don't know, send him away?" Willow asked, obviously annoyed. Shirou didn't know who the person was, but he was getting the feeling that he wasn't all that great of a person. From the way Willow, Summer, and even Nicholas were acting, well, his first impression wasn't going to be good.

"You know that won't help anything, dear. This is something you'll have to do yourself." Nicholas replied with a sigh. He then looked towards Shirou. "Well, not completely by yourself." Willow's eyes slightly, widened, before looking towards Shirou.

Shirou blinked a few times. "Uh, do you mind explaining what I'll apparently be helping with?" He asked while scratching his cheek. Nicholas couldn't help but grin at him.

"Jacques Geles, he's a young man who has had his eyes on Willow for awhile now." He explained. Shirou let out an understanding hum, realizing what was going on now. "Since the incident, he's been rather adamant on seeing Willow."

"Ah, I see. Judging from this conversation, I'm guessing you'd rather not meet up with him? Or something to that extent?" He asked, wanting to know the specifics.

"Of course not. He's been trying for awhile, and while I've been courteous so far, he doesn't seem to understand that I'm not interested in him." She said in a frustrated tone. "Perhaps, that's why? Maybe I should go with a different approach." She muttered to herself.

"I'm not exactly well versed when it comes to things like this, but if he's dedicated enough to keep trying despite you turning him down, then it's likely he'll keep trying no matter what." Shirou informed her. He was partially lying. He had come across others while working for the church that were similar.

He didn't know if this Jacques was in love with Willow or what, but if he was still trying after so long, then it stood to reason that he would keep it up. 'When people get an idea into their heads, it's hard to dissuade them.' He'd need to meet the man to get a better understanding of him.

"This is why I asked you both here. I'm sure you'll come up with something, dear. After all, Shirou's here and, if nothing else, he'll make a great deterrent." Nicholas said with a smile. Shirou supposed that was true. Even if Willow didn't want to meet him, or couldn't come up with something, then his presence would likely make the man uncomfortable and make the encounter far shorter than normal.

Besides, he was sure that he could come up with something after he was able to get a decent read on the guy. As he was thinking, he noticed Willow's face brighten a bit, before looking towards him, then her father.

"I'll come up with something. In the meantime, Shirou and I should get ready to greet out guest." Shirou raised a brow at Willow's words. Oddly enough, her current demeanor was actually reminding him a bit of Caren again, which was worrying.

Shirou was actually still a bit worried about the current situation. Willow said she'd come up with something, and he wanted to trust her, but he knew how troublesome people could be. He'd met more than his fair share of troublesome people. Still, this seemed like something Willow was used to handling. His previous partners were Caren and Ciel, and they often came up with solutions to problems that he'd never think of. And he knew that Willow could likely do the same.

Despite not knowing Willow nearly as long as he knew Ciel and Caren, he did trust her. He just didn't believe this Jacques was someone who was easily dissuaded. Whatever her plan was, he hoped it was a good one. 'Hmm, that's new.' He thought to himself, looking at the clothes that had been laid out for him. He noticed a purple scarf of some kind laying beside it, though he wasn't sure of why it seemed to be a different color from the usual Schnee colors he wore. 'Well, I don't mind it, but I'd rather have something with utility.'

"Trace on." He spoke, holding his hand out. A purple shroud then appeared in his hands. 'Jeanne...' Considering the Grail War was still fresh on his mind, he couldn't help but think of Saber. The shroud in his hands was made through her 'Saint' skill. It was Jeanne's holy shroud, and it was one of the most treasured artifacts he held within his Unlimited Blade Works, along with her sword and flag. He looked at the shroud, before placing it next to the clothes he needed to change into.

This life was something he was granted by Jeanne, so he refused to waste it. Though, he wished that she was here to share it with him. As he thought that, Willow's face happened to flash through his mind. He shook his head. 'Well, I shouldn't keep her waiting.' He thought with a smile, quickly changing into the white and blue suit that was laid out for him, before wrapping Jeanne's shroud around his shoulders.

Thankfully, what was set out for him wasn't anything too uncomfortable. Granted, he was used to wearing to the standard issue exorcist's garb, but those were usually modified for the wearer once they had them. It actually reminded him that he still needed to go out and buy some replacement gear with Willow later.

Unfortunately for him, the moment he made it to the place he was to meet Willow, any thoughts he had were quickly forgotten. Willow was waiting for him, wearing a rather beautiful ice blue dress that went down to her ankles, with a white shawl that went around her shoulders, as well as the earrings that he bought for her. The dress was, thankfully, not as form fitting as some he had seen, but it did highlight Willow's figure nicely. He was actually surprised she owned a dress like, since it didn't really seem like her style. The same could be said for the purple ribbon that she was wearing on her wrist. 'Strange.'

All in all though, she was rather stunning. He'd rank her in his top five of times he'd been stunned by a person's looks. First place belonged to when he summoned Saber, and he highly doubted that anyone would be able to beat Jeanne's beauty. Though, maybe he was a bit biased, considering who she was. He shook his head. Unpleasant thoughts began to creep up every time he thought about her.

He was taken back to that horrible night, reliving those moments. The image of Jeanne in his arms as her body began to dissipate and return to the throne of heroes. Knowing that, if he was a bit quicker, there might have been a way that she didn't have to use her noble phantasm. Even seeing her warm smile and pure, purple eyes looking back at him, even though he thought he didn't deserve to see it again. Then again, perhaps that was why he was remembering it. This was the miracle she wished for him. 'I won't waste it.'

Just like that, the moment passed, and he was back to looking at Willow. She must have been deep in thought, as she just noticed him. She stood up straight and walked up to him with a confident smile and eyes full of determination. "Are you ready to do this, Shirou?" She asked, causing Shirou to let out an amused huff.

"I feel like I should be asking you that, but I see that it'd be pointless." He replied, getting a nod from Willow. "So, what exactly is the plan, if you don't mind me asking?" The moment he finished speaking, he saw an amused smile form on her face.

"You'll see, just follow my lead, my gallant knight"

'Ah, I'm so nervous!' Willow mentally exclaimed. She was super confident earlier, but the closer she got to her destination, the more her nerves began to worsen. She blamed Shirou for that. She did her best to remain focused on the current situation, but she couldn't help but acknowledge that Shirou cleaned up rather well. Maybe it had to do with the white and blue three-piece suit she picked out for him to wear.

Or maybe it was because of the purple scarf, though that was for a different reason. She shook her head, trying to reign in her thoughts. Shirou appeared to trust in her plan, so she would do her best to not let her down. Admittedly, said plan might have been a bit over the top, however, she was pretty sure that it would also make the future a lot easier for both Shirou and herself.

The pair stopped at the end of the hallway that led to the main entrance of the Schnee manor. This was it. "I can handle this for you if you don't want to do it." She heard Shirou say, before looking towards him. "I'm sure I can come up with a pretty decent excuse." Willow smiled, before shaking her head.

"No, thank you. Besides, he'd just come back later. No, this is something I have to do. That way, he won't come back and no one else will think to try again afterwards." She said with a small huff. She noticed Shirou raise a brow at her words, before a small smirk appeared on his face.

"Quite the scary young lady I'm accompanying." He replied, causing her to narrow her eyes a bit.

"I'm not going to do anything scary, thank you very much. However, that doesn't mean I can't be scary when I need to. Need I remind you that I'm an heiress?" She shot back, causing him to let out an amuse huff. "Besides, I'm sure you can be far more terrifying than I can."

"Ah, I suppose that's fair. Will I need to show any of that off in this coming meeting?" He asked. Willow blinked a few times, before shaking her head.

"I doubt it, but I'll leave that to your discretion. For now, just stick by me and go with the flow. Now, come along dear." She answered, before linking their arms together and gently pulling him along.

As she did so, she heard him repeat the last thing she said. "Dear?" However, any confusion he may have had was quickly replaced as easily began to walk in step with her. 'Good, this will definitely work.'

Jacque was waiting in the entrance area. Honestly, Shirou was still impressed with the size of the place. Seeing someone standing there only emphasized how large the building itself was.

Despite the size of the room, it seemed the man was ready for their arrival. Rather, he was ready for Willow's arrival. Considering the less than flattering expression Jacques shot him, he definitely wasn't expecting him to be there. He supposed that was the whole point of his presence though. Willow then placed herself a bit closer to him, likely because she noticed. The moment she did so, Shirou noticed the man's eyes darken considerably.

He let out a small hum. The man didn't really have any qualities that Shirou felt stuck out all that much. He had dark hair that was slicked backwards, along with the beginnings of a mustache beginning to grow on his face. He was wearing a grey and blue suit, the same as most Atlas people he had seen so far. Honestly, Shirou would have thought that he was just some ordinary business man off the street if he didn't know who he was.

He also appeared to a be a few years older than Willow, though he couldn't be completely positive about that, it was mainly just a feeling. Willow and him had already descended the first flight of stairs and were about to reach the second when he felt her other hand come up and place itself onto his arm. He figured she must have been resolving herself for whatever her plan was.

He had a feeling that he already knew what it was, considering what she called him moments before. 'It's not a bad plan, all things considered. Though, it could backfire if she isn't careful.' He wasn't even worried about Jacques at the moment. He was more worried about future ramifications. Jacques himself was a nonentity. People who had their aura unlocked actually possessed a unique scent, and Jacques didn't have that. It told him that this man was just a civilian.

"Lady Willow, I wasn't aware that you already had a guest." He spoke up, his voice attempting to hide his annoyance. Though, Shirou was still able to pick up on it. Willow tilted her head slightly with a small smile on her face.

"I'm glad to hear that. If you came despite knowing that, I would have been very upset." She replied, though, despite her casual tone, even Shirou was able to pick up the coldness in her voice. 'Suppose it makes sense, she's likely had to do some business before.'

Jacques coughed into his fist, likely picking up on Willow's less than happy demeanor. "Ah, yes, apologies. I don't wish to take up too much of your time, Lady Willow, so I'll move onto the reason for my visit today." He started, before pausing, his eyes drifting towards Shirou, who simply raised a brow at the man's gaze. "Um, would it possible to move somewhere more private, as this is a rather personal issue."

The moment he said that, he felt Willow's hold tighten a bit. Shirou himself couldn't really get a read on the guy. He seemed normal enough, even his annoyance at his presence was to expected from someone trying to court a lady, and yet, there was something about the guy that bothered him. He'd observe a bit more as Willow did her thing.

Willow let out an inquisitive hum, before turning to look at Shirou for a moment, then back to Jacques. "Well, if this issue has something to do with me, then I'd feel more comfortable if my fiance were here to hear it as well. Anything that concerns me, concerns him as well." 'I figured that's what she was going for.' Her voice was very professional, which was surprising to him. Shirou was sure that she would have stuttered at least once.

He then noticed that Jacques's expression quickly morphed into one of surprise and disbelief. It appeared like he was about to speak, however, Willow quickly cut him off before he could continue. "Ah, how rude of me. I forgot to introduce him when you came in. Apologies, I'm still getting used to being engaged, you see." She spoke with a big smile, before motioning her hand towards him. "Jacques Gele, this is my fiance, Shirou Hortensia. Shirou, this is my acquaintance, Jacques Gele." 'Okay, I'm starting to get the feeling I shouldn't make Willow mad.'

He then felt Willow lightly squeeze his hand. 'Ah, right.' "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said, offering a small bow of his head as he did so. He didn't want to say too much, since this was Willow's show. If he needed to step in, he'd so do. But, right now, he thought she had a pretty decent hold on things.

Jacques looked between the two of them, his eyes darting back and forth, though Shirou was sure he could see some frustration bubbling up, causing his eyes to narrow slightly. 'Interesting, not exactly the response I'd expect.'

"Lady Willow, you must be joking. This man is a nobody. There is literally no record of him anywhere." Shirou raised a brow at that. 'So, he's investigated me? Was he the one following us the other day?' "Surely, you aren't serious. This man could be a dangerous criminal or cold blooded killer." Jacques was incredulous, obviously. He obviously wasn't happy about not being able to accomplish whatever it was he wished to accomplish. 'Valid points though. Most people wouldn't trust someone like that. Though, I'm impressed, he was, at least, half right. I am a killer, but cold blooded? I don't think so.'

Still, Jacques seemed dead set on making Willow see it his way. The only problem, it didn't feel like someone who was just trying to warn someone of the dangers of their choice. The more he spoke, the more the nagging feeling Shirou had about him reared its head. 'I have a feeling this man is trouble.'

He mentally shook it off. It didn't matter. As long as Willow kept her cool and managed to stick to her plan, whatever it was, then everything would be fine. He then felt her grip on him tighten rsther significantly. From the corner of his vision, he noticed Willow's expression, causing him to remember how she reacted to Raven's remarks.

"Don't speak about him that way!" She commanded with authority. The tone of her voice caused Jacques and him both to flinch slightly. A part of him was moved that she'd jump to his defense, but a more vocal part couldn't help but feel he didn't deserve it. "Shirou is my savior and I will not allow you to speak poorly of him in my presence, is that understood?!"

Her words carried such weight that Jacques likely couldn't help but nod his head in agreement. Shirou, however, looked towards Willow and immediately noticed that her expression was anything but pleased. "Shirou has proven to be a trustworthy and honorable man, and has gained my utmost respect."

"It doesn't matter who objects, nor who has any misgivings, I have made up my mind about who I have chosen to marry. Seeing as I am the one who will inherit my father's company, my word is now law. Shirou will become a part of the Schnee family, and that is final. If you, or anyone else, has a problem with that, then you can take that up with my fiance." She finished with confidence, before looking towards him, and nodding.

Despite still being a bit thrown off by her words, as well as trust in him, he managed to respond. Multiple blades formed behind the pair, surprising Jacques. Intimidation and such wasn't something he was a fan of, but he had already decided to folllow her lead. To Shirou's surprise, the man stood up straight and glared directly at Willow and him.

"This...This will not stand!" He managed to speak out, before turning and making his way out, to Willow's surprise. Shirou, however, was a bit concerned about another matter. One that didn't relate to Jacques in the slightest.

As soon as Jacques left, Willow was finally able to breathe freely. He was lucky she was able to hold together as well as she did. Honestly, she couldn't believe he would try and disparage Shirou right in front of her. She hardly tolerated Raven doing it, only doing so because of Summer. Jacques had no such connection, making it very hard for her to keep her cool.

'He's lucky I didn't summon a boarbatusk and blast him out of here.' She thought with a huff. She refused to allow anyone to disparage her knight like that. However, she managed to hold it together, and thankfully, they managed to make Jacques leave on his own accord. Technically.

She had no doubt he'd be back. Men like him tended to be annoyingly tenacious. Still, with his removal, she had managed her goal. Soon, news would likely spread that she was no longer on the market and those who wished to marry her would cease asking. It was a bit of a dirty trick, but if there was anyone she didn't mind being engaged to, it would be Shirou.

Granted, it wasn't like they were really engaged to each other, but still. 'And I managed to do it all without stuttering or blushing in the slightest.' She proudly thought to herself. Willow then realized that Shirou hadn't reacted yet. She turned towards him, seeing him looking up at the swords he had summoned, closely inspecting them.

"Um, Shirou?" She asked, wanting to get his attention. The moment she spoke out, Shirou seemed to snap out of his trance, with the weapons turning into motes of lights. "Everything okay?"

Shirou cleared his throat, before putting on one of his practiced smiles. Her eyes narrowed at the sight. 'I hate when he does that.' "It's nothing, just a personal issue. I take it you're pleased with the result of your plan?" He asked.

"It's too early to say. Chasing Jacques off was just the first step. I'm hoping for more good things to come from this. I admit, it is kind of heavy handed, since there were other alternatives. But, I thought that it would be the perfect way for us both to get something out it." Willow smiled at him.

Shirou blinked a few times. "What do you mean?" He asked, tilting his head a bit.

"Well, there's the obvious benefits, but the one I'm thinking about is actually about what we talked about before. I thought it'd give us the perfect chance to go out and see the different kingdoms. If you're with me, daddy will definitely allow it, and maybe it'll help with your ammesia." Willow told him, though she was really nervous. It was mostly because she was still worried about him.

She noticed Shirou's brow twitch, before he shook his head. "Yeah, I didn't think about that." Shirou replied, though Willow couldn't help but notice that he sounded a bit off. He let out a small hu, before looking at her again. "So, what exactly are you going to tell your dad? Because, this does seem like something he should know about."

Willow's eyes widened a bit, before a small frown formed on her face. "You're right, it is. That is if he doesn't already know." She answered, her eyes peering up towards the corner of the room. "You know, actually, I'm going to go and tell him right now."

Shriou let out a small amused huff. "Want me to come with you? That's usually the proper procedure. Though, I suppose we skipped the part where I was supposed to ask for his blessing, didn't we?" Willow let out a small giggle.

"I didn't know you were so old fashioned, Shirou. But, no, I have some things to say to him that should be private." She said with a demure smile, before beginning to walk back up the stairs. As she reached the top, she turned her head towards Shirou. "Though, if it really bugs you that much, just do it when it's actually real."

Without another word, she quickly turned and continued on. 'I can't believe I said that! I'm so stupid.'

It was quiet. Willow had disappeared already. Now, Shirou was alone. He blinked a few times, before shaking his head. 'Maybe I didn't hear her right.' He tried to reassure himself, but knew he was wrong.

The Grail War was still fresh in his mind. It hadn't been that long. A lot happened during it, along with more than a few things changing in him. He had Saber to thank for that. 'Stop, don't think about it.' He took a deep breath.

He shook his head. Before remembering where he was. "Right, best I figure out what's going on with myself before focusing on anything else." He thought to himself, however, he couldn't help but think about Willow and what she had said to him.

'Maybe I should make some time to speak with Nicholas just in case. It couldn't hurt to hear what he has to think about the whole thing.' He thought to himself as he began to make his way to the training room. Considering how large the Schnee home was, he had plenty of time to think.

He likely wouldn't be so out of sorts, if it wasn't for tracing his swords during the meeting with Jacques. Normally, it wouldn't have been a problem. Tracing a few mundane blades was hardly an issue. The problem came from the fact that he had yet to turn on his circuits.

There was also the fact that he hardly felt any magical energy being used to summon them. Not to mention, tracing weapons was always done with a process. The time for this has decreased as he became more proficient, but it was still necessary. What he did earlier, felt like he skipped the processes. 'No, it felt more like when I'm inside of Unlimited Blade Works.'

Within his reality marble, his weapons were ready and waiting, he simply needed to call them to his hand. Then again, tracing was simply pulling a sword from his reality marble, so he didn't quite understand what was different. The swords he called were his creations, but it shouldn't have happened like it did.

This led him to a single conclusion. Something about him had changed since arriving in this world. He just didn't know what it was. He knew this was the case earlier in the garden, but this only confirmed it. He just didn't understand why. He wasn't from this world.

He knew he couldn't shield himself, but what if this was the equivalent of using a semblance? He had finally entered the training room, deciding to take a seat on the ground. He took a deep breath, deciding to test some things out.

Before he did, he remembered he was wearing Jeanne's shroud. 'I forgot to ask why Willow wanted me to wear this.' He hummed, before deciding not to worry about it.

"Trace on." He spoke out as he imagined his trigger, activating his circuits. 'I don't feel any difference in my circuits.' Next, he began to go through the usual process and traced a normal mundane sword. 'Hmm, no real change that I can notice.'

He frowned, before sending it back. 'Okay, so, why don't I try what I did earlier?' He deactivated his circuits, before trying to remember what he did. His eye twitched, remembering his intimidation tactic. Jacques gave him a bad feeling, but he didn't technically do anything wrong, so he still felt rather guilty about it.

He uttered a small prayer, before focusing once again. However, he didn't really know what to do. 'Raven's semblance is a teleportation portal and Willow's was a type of summoning, at least, I think it was.' There was also the faunus he killed when saving Willow, he remembered his skin appeared to harden before Shirou stabbed him.

When Willow signalled him, he was slightly surprised and just reacted on reflex, so he figured he could try to do that again. He quickly stood up, deciding to imitate Gil, at least to an extent. Perhaps it worked the same as Gate of Babylon.

He closed his eyes and imagined how Gil would train him by throwing swords at him. The speed at which they appeared and how they fired. All at once, he felt a similar pull as he did earlier, before opening his eyes and seeing one of his swords in the air.

With a snap of his fingers, the sword shot forward and embedded itself into the wall. Shirou blinked a few times, before seeing the sword disappear like usual. He looked down his hands. 'What the heck happened to me?'

It was a beautiful day outside, even if her friends were pulled away by someone troublesome. It had been some time since they left, so she would admit she was a bit worried. A small frown formed on her face, before noticing something in the garden.

She decided to sneak up on her target, hoping to see what it was he was doing. As she did, she noticed him holding a book of some kind, along with a small pocket sized notebook. He appeared to write something, before pausing, and turning his head to look at her.

She shot him a guilty smile, rubbing the back of her head. "Uh, sorry, I was just interested in what you were doing." Shirou raised a brow, before a small smile appeared on her face. He motioned to her, before looking back at his book.

"Don't worry about it, Summer. If I wanted privacy, I'd be in my room." He replied, writing something down in the notebook again. Summer skipped over by where he was sitting and was able to see what he was writing.

She blinked a few times, before tilting her head. "What's that? One, Corin...Corin..." she said, attempting to sound out the word."

"First Corinthians, chapter 13, verses 4 through 8, that's what's written." Shirou answered in an amused tone. "As for why I wrote it down, well, I suppose it's mostly just habit. This specific bit I wrote down, is something that..." He paused for a moment, his gaze unfocusing slightly, before returning.

"It's something a close friend used to recite to me from time to time. She basically drilled it into my head." He said with a small chuckle. Summer blinked a few times. 'Is his amnesia going away?' She thought, remembering that Willlow told her about it. She hummed, before smiling and deciding to sit down next to him.

"I see. So, what's it say?" She decided to ask, getting him to pause. He smirked, before closing the notebook and placing both objects to the side of himself. He turned to look at her. She noticed a subtle change in him. He seemed...brighter? She wasn't sure how to explain it, but she could definitely feel it.

"It's about love." He said, maintaining his slight smirk. Summer couldn't help the light blush that made its way onto her face. "You sure you want me to tell you?" He continued. Summer's eyes slightly narrowed, and a small pout made it's way onto her face. She playfully slapped his shoulder.

"You're not going to embarrass me that easily, mister." She answered, causing him to let out a small huff of amusement. "Besides, it must be something amazing if your friend always recited it and I like learning about new things."

Shirou nodded, before looking up at the sky. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth." He spoke lightly, his tone tinged with a hint of somberness, but also fondness.

"It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." He then let out a small sigh. "There's a bit more to it, but she really liked that part." He shook his head. "No, she really liked that whole chapter. She said it was something that I needed to learn, especially when I first met her."

"It was really beautiful. She must have really loved you." Summer said, noticing how he spoke of this friend. She wondered if something happened to her. Then again, he had amnesia, so he likely didn't know. To her surprise, Shirou chuckled a bit.

"Something like that. She could be quite twisted at times, but her faith was undeniable. I hope she's alright, wherever she is." He replied, before shaking his head. "Anyways, uh, what were you doing walking around? I thought you'd be with your team or something?"

Summer wanted to call him out for changing the subject. She loved to help people, and Shirou seemed like he needed help. She didn't know what it was, but she could tell there was a lot of pain in his heart. Pain he likely pushed down and kept muted. 'That isn't healthy.'

She wondered if Willow knew about it. She'd have to ask her about it. Summer then smiled at him. "Well, I was looking for Willow actually, but I ran into you first. I remembered her mentioning taking you to buy some gear and yeah, I was just curious if that was still happening."

Shirou hummed for a moment, before standing up. "I see. I think she's still talking to Nicholas, but she should be done by now. She might even be looking for us right now." Summer quickly popped up, realizing he was probably right.

"That makes sense! We should go find her then. After all, I'm quite excited to offer you my expertise with weapons and what not." Summer excitedly stated. Despite her excitement, she couldn't help but worry about her new friend.

She was determined to help him in some way. 'Perhaps if he felt he could open up to us, he'd het better?' She thought, before deciding to come up with something later. For now, she wanted to try and get Shirou's mind off of whatever was bothering him. She hated when people were unhappy after all.

Shirou was still troubled by the change in his body, but also a bit bothered by the memories of his loved ones. He still needed to see if there was any way to get home after all. At the very least, he wanted to know what happened to everyone after the Grail War. The problem was that he had no way to get that kind of knowledge currently.

However, he didn't want to trouble anyone with his problems. He was reading his bible and writing down notes and verses mainly to calm his nerves, only for Summer to sneak up on him. He didn't mind talking to her. She was a kind person. But, he could also tell she was rather sharp.

He tried to hide it, but he knew she likely noticed the small change in his mood. Then again, considering he was thinking about Caren, it was only natural she'd notice. Out of everyone, she was the one he knew the longest.

He sighed. He could deal with all that later. For now, he had managed to convince Summer to split up to search for Willow. Her reluctance told him everything he needed to know. However, he wanted to speak with Nicholas first. So, that's where he was headed.

Despite not wanting to focus on his issues at the moment, Summer did help him realize something when talking to her. He had mainly been reacting his entire time in this new world. When Summer asked him about what he was doing, he felt like he was at home again, if only for a moment.

It was this realization that pushed him to now. He needed to act and keep moving forward, despite his circumstances. Perhaps he was brought to this world to change it, save it, or even just live in it, but he wouldn't know unless he decided to try and move forward. Which is why he was hoping to talk Nicholas into allowing him to journey the other kingdoms.

He'd do what he always did, help people and maybe even save a few who needed it. Along the way, he could try and find something related to his home. 'You can be hot, or cold, but never be in-between.' He thought with a small smile.

He needed to find his purpose, and he was determined to figure out what it was exactly.

Done. Took awhile, sorry. Anyways, this chapter wasn't anything too great, mostly just character things, though I'll be moving the story along in the next chapter or two. Shirou's journey is something I wanted to do to show what kind of person he is. Or rather, what kind of beliefs he holds close as an Executor. Though, I also want to show a bit of why he is the way he is.

I'll say he's similar to my Sekirei crossover Shirou, but at a younger age where he hasn't had time to consolidate what happened to him. He's still 17. Heck, he just found out he's different than normal, but decided to try and push it away. Which, as Summer mentions, isn't healthy.

Willow will be the catalyst for that. When it happens, Willow will be the one to see him. There's alot I could say about what I'm planning for Willow, but it'll spoil it, so I'll keep that to myself. But, they do both find it odd that they seem so attracted to each other.

Summer will be fun, since I want to write her different from Ruby. She's still excitable and cannbe childish, but she's also sharp and can be be a bit wise. She's also similar to Shirou. She sees he need help, and her first idea is to help him. I want Summer to be the version of Shirou that isn't a killer. What he might have been if he hadn't become so used to life as an executor.

Raven. She wasn't here this chapter, but I want her to be important. She'll be around a whole lot. Lots of ideas with her, but nothing set in stone. Kali is another one of those.

Nicholas is written to be an older, wiser, and more experienced Shirou at the end of his days of being a warrior. I wanted them to all have facets of him, to kind of help Shirou figure out what's happening.

I will say, Shirou's meeting with the maidens will be interesting, as well as when he learns of certain objects. Ha, but that's about it for this one. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed and thanks for reading. I also appreciate the feedback and reviews, as well as the support. It helps with the writing and makes it fun. Thanks again for everything, I hope you all enjoyed and, as always, until next time.