Sword and Shield

A New World 2

Shirou was still trying to come to terms with everything that had occurred only about half an hour ago.

After traveling for many days, he and Atla had arrived at a huge and well-defended city he had assumed to be the capital of whatever country – Raybul, a part of his brain absently supplied to his waking mind – they had found themselves in.

They had snuck into the city, scoping out the place and visiting the local market like usual. Unlike their usual modus operandi, Atla had 'seen' something and had insisted that they pay a visit to a certain location in the city before finding a place to turn in for the night. And when they arrived at that location, everything went to hell in a handbasket in less than a heartbeat.

"…"

He stared long and hard at the katana in his hand, the blade resting in his lap and his fingers closed tight around the deep blue hilt of the weapon. Its central green jewel glinted back up at him, appearing almost…happy?

Katana Vassal Weapon.

Really, ever since coming to this world it had been one long series of surprises, one after the other. Shirou would have liked to believe that, by this point, he would have learned to deal with such sudden twists of fate like this a lot better than he actually did.

No such luck, however. He was every bit as rattled now after he had woken up in the Dungeon, de-aged and back to Level 1.

A Hero. That's what I am now, right?

As much as it was difficult to believe, that was indeed the case. The Hero of the Katana, to be precise. The Katana Hero for short.

Considering my Origin and Element, I can't deny I would be well suited to this role, but…

Shaking his head, Shirou dispelled his heavy thoughts concerning what it actually meant to be a Hero and if he qualified or not. What mattered was that Katana Vassal Weapon had chosen him, and said choice had landed him in very hot water as a result. Now, he needed to deal with that situation in one way or the other.

His eyes refocused on Atla, who was sat down in front of him cross-legged on the ground. He was sitting on the floor together with her, both of them hiding out in an old, worn out building in some corner of the capital city. Shirou was pretty sure this used to be some kind of small warehouse, considering the few discarded but empty barrels and boxes that could be found scattered around the floor. The floor in question and the few objects to be found were all covered in a thick layer of dust, showing that no one had been in here for quite a while.

"Yet again, Shirou-sama, your crafting skills are proving to be useful beyond compare," Atla said as soon as she noticed his attention return back to her.

The reason she said that was obvious: in between them, a simple Formalcraft magic circle had been carved into the ground. The Ruby and Jade Rings of Illusions were placed inside of said circle, being fed a continuous trickle of magical energy from the surroundings, keeping the abilities of the accessories in question constantly active and increasing their effective range by quite a bit.

They had once done the same while they had still been trapped down in the Dungeon. By using this little combination, they could effectively hide away with minimal effort. With the powers of illusions that Shirou had added only after having conquered the Dungeon, an extra layer of edited reality now provided even more protection than before.

If anyone were to look inside of the abandoned warehouse, they wouldn't see, hear, or smell anything out of place. The warehouse would seem to be no different than it had been, mostly empty and having been left undisturbed for probably years.

"Yeah, well, tools like this prove to be useful in the most surprising of circumstances," Shirou said in response, rubbing the back of his head. That little lesson had proven to be true again and again ever since inexplicably finding himself transported to another world. "Unfortunately, my crafting skills do not guarantee our escape."

"No, but combined with our various skills, it more or less does," Atla countered, a bit of heat to her tone.

Shirou grimaced. Right now, he and Atla were having their first-ever true disagreement of any real note.

She wanted to split immediately, leveraging their stealth accessories and their abilities to escape the city post-haste. Shirou, on the other hand, would prefer to lie low for a little while with the use of the very same resources. Just long enough so that people no longer believed that they were in the city in the first place, and then make good on their escape.

There was something to be said about both arguments. The entire city was in an uproar, with both its soldiers and even its common citizenry patrolling the streets in droves and searching every nook and cranny of the capital for the ones who had made off with the Katana Vassal Weapon.

Outside the warehouse, 'patrols' seemed to pass by every other minute. And this wasn't even the most heavily searched area of the city, either.

Both staying and leaving immediately carried risks. If they tried to leave immediately they would have to, in order to escape, bypass what amounted to the full breadth and scope of a city's worth of people and resources trying to find and detain them. If they decided to remain hidden long enough until people came to assume that they had already made good on their escape, then they would have to deal with fewer obstacles. But the longer they stayed, the bigger the risk became.

The tools to enact both plans were freely available to them, but Shirou preferred lying low for a little while. And the reason why…

"I'd…prefer it if I had a little time to think through what has changed. You know, ability wise," Shirou admitted. "I can no longer fight exactly the same way that I am used to."

It was pretty straightforward, actually.

At that, Atla cocked her head, but then she perked up as she realized what he meant. Her 'gaze' landed on Katana Vassal Weapon in Shirou's lap. "Ah, I think I get it," she mumbled. "Such weapons also come with a few annoying restrictions, don't they?"

"Yes, exactly."

In ordinary circumstances, he might have agreed with Atla on the outset, choosing to leave the city behind immediately. However, though the Katana Vassal Weapon promised to make him far more powerful, such weapons also had few caveats in their use. The most important was that Legendary and Vassal Weapons wouldn't allow one to use any other weapon.

Bows? Knives? Hell, even the Wandering Cross Guard Gladius – a weapon that formed the core of his combat style – was no longer something he could use as he desired. The moment he were to try to use any of those weapons, the Katana Vassal Weapon would punish him, a drawback of its inbuilt functions and rules.

If they were to try and escape right now, and they happened to be discovered during the attempt, they would be forced into battle when he was no longer able to fight as he had grown accustomed to. Just thinking about such a situation made him feel…nervous, for lack of a better term. That's why he wanted to lie low for a little while, not only to allow the city's guard to drop, but also to have the time necessary to come to terms with the new restrictions he was laboring under.

And, more importantly, to give himself the chance to draw out the potential of the Katana Vassal Weapon and make himself far more powerful as a result.

Thanks to his unique weapon related abilities, he already knew quite a few Strengthening Methods that he could potentially use. This included not only the Strengthening Method inherent to the Katana Vassal Weapon, but also the methods that had been used to enhance the Scythe Vassal Weapon and the Fan Vassal Weapon.

All told, this amounted to the following seven Strengthening Methods:

[Monster Hunter] – For every unique type of monster/creature killed, the Hero is granted permanent Stat increases. Which Stat increases and by how much depends on the monster/creature killed. Example: killing a Red Balloon will yield a 1 to Attack. Killing a Blue Balloon will also yield 1 to Attack. However, after the initial Stat-Up, killing a Red and/or Blue Balloon again won't yield any further Stat increases.

[Weapon Experience Points] – This method allows a Legendary/Vassal Weapon to accrue EXP of its own and Level up as it is used in battle. As the Legendary/Vassal Weapon's Level increases, all its Weapon Forms will grow stronger, adding 0,5 to any Weapon Form's base Attack or Defence rating. Note: this Strengthening Method is almost identical to the Strengthening Method – [Level Link] – of the Legendary Sword, with the only difference being that the bonuses aren't tied directly to the Hero's own Level, but instead to the Legendary/Vassal Weapon's very own accrued EXP and Level.

[Ofuda] - Pieces of specialized, magical paper that can be attached to the legendary weapon in order to add different functions and a variety of special effects.

[Ambient Mana Absorption] – During combat, any magical energy that a monster expends but doesn't consume entirely when attacking is passively absorbed by the Legendary/Vassal Weapon. After battle and once the monster has been slain, any magical energy remaining in the atmosphere and released by the monster's corpse is similarly absorbed. This collected 'energy' is purified and transformed, which can then be used to Ascend any given Weapon Form in order to provide even greater Equipment Bonuses and enhance Special Abilities. Numerical Equipment Bonuses will be increased by 50%. Nonnumerical Equipment Bonuses and Special Abilities increase by one grade. This might also reveal previously hidden abilities. Note: this Strengthening Method is functionally identical to the [Awaken Weapon] Strengthening Method of the Legendary Sword.

[Refinement] - A Weapon Form can be made stronger with the use of certain ores. Each Weapon Form has only a single kind of ore that will increase its Refinement Level. The more powerful the Weapon Form, the more ore needs to be infused before its Refinement Level increases. There is no limit to how many times a Weapon Form's Refinement Level can be increased. There is, however, a percent chance of failure, and if the process fails, all previous Refinement Levels will be lost. Refinement will give 1 to Base Attack or to Base Defence with each Refinement Level. Note: this Strengthening Method is functionally identical to the [Weapon Tempering] method of the Legendary Spear.

[Spirit Enhancement] - A Weapon Form can be enhanced by using [Soul Fragments] gathered from enemies, absorbed into the Legendary/Vassal Weapon. An enhanced Weapon Form gains damage/damage-reduction against the enemy type the Weapon Form is specialized for. These bonuses will be different depending on the level of specialization of the weapon. As the Level of enchantment gets higher, it becomes more and more expensive. Note: this Strengthening Method is functionally identical to the [Weapon Enchantment] method of the Legendary Spear.

[Item Boost] - Grants a Hero a variety of Stat bonuses dependent on the items stored within the Legendary/Vassal Weapon. In addition, completing a 'drop' list will provide additional bonuses. Note: this Strengthening Method is almost identical to the Strengthening Method – [Monster Encyclopedia] – of the Seven Star Carriage Weapon, with the only difference being that it functions on items rather than monster materials.

Suffice it to say, it was a lot to take in all at once. But with a few days' worth of tinkering with these new systems, Shirou was sure that he would be able to leverage all the avenues with which he could get stronger now for all that they were worth.

Learning to live with, or – much more preferably – finding workarounds for the accompanying restrictions, however…that would probably take quite a bit longer.

"Fair enough, Shirou-sama," Atla's sudden words broke him from his thoughts. "Though I still don't really agree, I can understand your reasoning. We'll stay put, for now."

"Thank you, Atla."

"Who will take the first watch?" she asked promptly, barely stifling a deep yawn.

After all, before this entire situation had suddenly been sprung on them, they had been planning to find a place to turn in for the night. No matter how strong either of them were, they still needed sleep like anyone else.

"I'll do it. It will give me the chance to start tinkering immediately," was Shirou's answer, eyes darting to the Katana Vassal Weapon in his lap.

Atla nodded at that, not looking surprised. "Good night, Shirou-sama," she said, laying down on the soft cloth they had draped over the floor shortly after having hidden themselves away in this forgotten warehouse. She curled up close to Shirou, her hair brushing his thigh.

"Good night, Atla."

Shirou said, noting that she had already fallen asleep. Atla's eyes may be perpetually closed, but the way her breathing had abruptly evened out told him everything he needed to know. She must have been quite a bit more tired than she had led on to fall asleep so quickly.

"…"

Even as he idly brushed her hair, Shirou's eyes remained focused on the Katana Vassal Weapon as all its systems appeared in his Menu, filling his field of vision. Idly, as he set to work, he pulled out his Item Box Gem.

---

A few hours later, Atla had woken up and had taken over watch duty. Shirou himself had gone to sleep immediately. Though he had been making considerable progress with the Katana Vassal Weapon, the exhaustion and sleepiness he had been laboring under made the task of strengthening both himself and his weapon more and more dull and a mind-bending grind.

Suffice it to say, he was grateful for the chance to catch some shuteye.

However, even though Shirou had gone to sleep, that didn't mean he no longer perceived anything. From his point of view, he had lain down, closed his eyes, and had been transported to an entirely different reality: a barren hill, covered in weapons buried blade first in the ground, their hilts aimed towards the sky, appearing almost eager for him to pick them up and wield them.

A huge full moon hung above, competing with the distant setting sun for which celestial body could provide more light. A precious few titanic spinning gears floated in the air. Vivid green grass could be seen encroaching on the barren hill from every direction, filling this otherworldly plane with ever more greenery and life.

As usual, Shirou instantly relaxed the moment he became cognizant of where he was. This world, his world, never failed to put him at ease. This time, however, he immediately tensed up as soon as he realized that something had changed.

Shirou was no longer the only occupant in this world.

In front of him, a sphere of condensed, bright white energy floated placidly in the air at eye-level. And though the bright white energy sphere was otherwise featureless, he got the distinctive impression that it was looking back at him with a keen-eyed gaze.

"…"

Shirou stared at it for a long moment, alarm bells blaring in the back of his mind. He instinctively knew that no one else should be here unless he personally invited them.

And yet…here this ethereal being was, having somehow done the impossible.

"Who…?"

In response to that question, the sphere wavered and dipped down to touch the hilt of a katana it had been floating above all this time. Which Katana? The Katana Vassal Weapon, of course.

"Then, you are…"

Before Shirou even had the chance to finish his assertion, the ethereal being zipped away. Shirou followed it briskly, keeping track of it with his eyes like a hawk. The sphere of energy came to a halt above another blade: Monohoshi-Zao. Just like every other blade he had seen in his life, his main weapon could be found in this world as well.

Again, the ethereal being dipped down, touching the hilt of Monohoshi-Zao.

Shirou's eyes widened as he saw…something being pulled out of the katana and into the sphere of energy. What that was, he could not say, but it didn't take long for the ethereal being to extract what it needed. The energy sphere pulled away from Monohoshi-Zao, got right in front of him and suddenly expanded in size.

Instinctively, Shirou had jumped back, raising his hands to either attack or defend himself. But as it turned out, no defence of his person was necessary, thankfully.

As the ethereal being grew in size, it also took another shape. The shape of a man. A man with sharp and distinctive Japanese features, a trait underscored by deep and piercing blue eyes. The man in question was tall and slender, with long purple hair tied back in an elegant ponytail. Dressed in traditional Japanese clothing, including a kimono, hakama, and obi – all of which were varying colors of blue and purple – the man's demeanor was calm, composed, and somewhat aloof.

It was the visage of the Nameless Farmer who had wielded Monohoshi-Zao. The man in question had never participated in any great conflicts or left some other mark recorded in the history books. However, he had trained incessantly in the art of swordsmanship, achieving incredible skill and an ability with the blade that was beyond human. It was that exact skill that Shirou had been slowly but surely making his own through incessant practice of his own, but at the rate he was going…

Most importantly, however, this aloof looking man was also just a tad transparent. As if he wasn't truly and fully there. It rather reminded Shirou of Glass, actually.

"Greetings, my wielder," the man said, his words having an unnatural echo to them.

…Well, that left no room for doubt.

"The Katana Vassal Weapon."

"Correct. I am the Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon," the Spirit confirmed with a curt nod.

In the back of Shirou's mind, he found it rather on the nose that this spirit had taken on the appearance of a man who had dedicated his entire life to mastering the art of the sword. Quite fitting, though. No denying that.

"My apologies for appearing to you so suddenly," the 'man' said, inclining his head in apology. "However, I know from experience with my previous wielders that a lack of certain pieces of critical information can be devastating. The shape of your soul, my wielder, is so well-defined and unique that it gave me the chance to converse with you in this manner. That's why I decided to act immediately as soon as the opportunity presented itself."

With an effort of will, Shirou took his bewilderment and surprise stemming from this situation and crushed it into oblivion. Then, he focused his everything on the Spirit in the shape of a man in front of him. This was going to be a conversation of paramount importance.

"Before you tell me what you consider so important, may I first ask a question?" Shirou said, his voice tempered.

"Of course. In this world of yours, my wielder, time flows rather slowly. We have all the time in the world. Ask any question you like," the Spirit said, 'his' expression remaining unchanged.

In that moment, there were any number of questions Shirou could have asked. He had quite a few lines of inquiry he was dying to have answered. However, in the end, he elected to ask a question that was of great personal importance to him.

"This world…You referred to it as 'the shape of my soul.'" Shirou said slowly. "What exactly do you mean by that? I'll admit, I come here regularly in my sleep, but it has only recently that I have come to perceive this place with any real clarity. I know that this world is significant, but…I do not know why. Just…what is this place?"

"…When I said, my wielder, that this world is the shape of your soul, I meant that literally."

The Spirit in the shape of a man stepped aside and threw his right arm wide, indicating the entire plane as 'he' invited Shirou to look over the entirety of the world they found themselves in.

"Everything that you see here is your very soul," for the first time, the Spirit's voice changed in a way Shirou could not put his finger on. Was that reverence, pity, or a combination of those two emotions? "Your soul is a world without end that has an unlimited amount of raw materials and sorcery, allowing it to replicate almost any melee weapon that you lay your eyes on, so long as you can comprehend their materials and design. The records of these weapons are then stored here, in your soul, allowing you to call on those records as needed," the Spirit trialed off briefly, looking out over the vast plane. "And when I say records, I don't just mean a weapon's design or powers. You, my wielder, are well aware that everything about a given weapon is recorded in your soul as soon as you lay eyes on it."

"A world of unlimited blades, a giant forge capable of replicating and storing nearly every melee weapon that exists, has existed and will one day exist. This includes the very history inherent in every weapon, inscribing said history into your very own being. That is the shape of your soul, my wielder."

Shirou found that he did not – in fact, could not – doubt the Spirit's words. Not on this, at least. Everything that was being told to him made sense to him on a deep, instinctual level. He just knew what was being told was the unvarnished truth and nothing more.

"And because your soul is like this, I can communicate with you properly," the Spirit declared. "The soul of every other wielder I had was nothing like this, filled with materials, sorcery, and more importantly: records. I used the inherent power of your soul and the records of the original wielder of Monohoshi-Zao in order to take his shape, gaining the ability to talk. Usually, communication with my wielders is very difficult, as the World I protect didn't include the ability to talk normally as an inherent part of my functions when I was first made."

"…I'm sorry to say this, but that seems like a massive design flaw," Shirou couldn't help but comment.

Now, the expression on the Spirit's face changed for the first time, showing a deep and abiding irritation. "I could not agree more. However, there is nothing to be done about it and little use in complaining. Though the world I protect is alive in a sense, it does not think the same as most other living creatures. Even I, as a Spirit made and molded by this very world, can't entirely understand it's reasoning or choices. I can only work under the constraints and abilities granted to me by my design."

"Fair enough. Now," Shirou looked the Spirit in the eyes. "I still have many questions. However, I first want to know what you are so keen on telling me. From your words, I can only assume that if I don't know the information you have, I and my allies will make avoidable mistakes…or won't see certain threats coming in time."

"You are correct on both counts, my wielder."

The Spirit of the Vassal Weapon Katana turned fully to Shirou and took a step towards him, 'his' expression the picture of grave seriousness.

"I would ask you to remain quiet until I have finished telling you wat you need to know, and to keep what I told you in the back of your mind, always," the Spirit took another step, now almost getting into Shirou's personal space. "Meet a new person, possessor of a unique ability or not? Encounter something you have never heard of or seen before? Has something happened of either great adversity or great fortune? Then think on what I am about to tell you and assess if our enemies are or could be in any way connected to whatever or whoever it is you are dealing with."

Those words of suspicion and paranoia lingered in the endless forge of Shirou's soul, seeming to foul the very air with their implications.

"Because I will now tell you about the root cause of the Waves of Calamity," the Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon declared. "And their minions that infest worlds where they do not belong and are not wanted, bringing ruin to everything they touch: the Ones Who Call Themselves Gods and the Vanguard of the Waves…"

---

Suffice it to say, what the Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon told Shirou was every bit as critical as had been alluded to. Nor was it a quick and easy explanation, containing quite a bit more speculation and educated guesses than what one might have preferred.

All of it combined left Shirou rubbing his temple, looking truly lost for a second. "That's, man, I don't even have the words for it…"

Considering that he had also been told what the end result of the Waves overwhelming a given world would be exactly, it was a lot to take in.

"Please believe me, my wielder," the Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon implored. "I'm well aware that what I told you has a lot more guesswork than I would have liked, but it is the truth as I know it. If you don't heed my words…"

"I believe you," Shirou cut across, removing his hand from his temple. "If for no other reason than that I can't imagine a reason why you would lie about this."

Shirou had already noticed this, but the words and expression of the Spirit in front of him were usually utterly calm. Almost placid, in fact, and usually unchanging. Whenever the tone of voice or expression of the Spirit did change, however, it was because it wanted to convey something of utmost importance. So, when the Spirit's 'face' showed abject relief at Shirou's belief in its assertions about their true enemies, he knew said relief to be genuine and probably understated.

"…Thank you," the Spirit said at length, bowing 'his' head to 'his' wielder.

In response, Shirou merely lowered his own head in thought. "This changes things," he muttered. "We need to start preparing for this 'new' threat. If what you have told me about the Ones Who Call Themselves Gods is correct, we won't be able to do anything about them for a long while yet. But we might be able to start acting against the Vanguard of the Waves…"

"I have a few suggestions," the Spirit was quick to say, obviously eager.

Considering that 'he' had, because of his inherent design limitations, been unable up to this moment to point 'his' wielders to the true threats lurking in the shadows – rendered impotent in preventing said threats in advance – said eagerness was easy enough to understand.

Shirou wasn't quite sure how Spirits like this experience emotions compared to himself and other human-level intelligence creatures, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that it must have been frustrating in the extreme to be rendered mute when knowing in advance that a dangerous enemy was approaching. Unable to warn anyone or to prepare any countermeasures…If Shirou had been in that situation for any length of time himself, he just knew he would have been popping blood vessels in resentment.

"I'm listening," which made it easy for Shirou to decide to hear the Spirit out.

"The Spirits of the Legendary and Vassal Weapons all share a connection," the Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon said promptly. "We know at all times – vaguely, at least – where the others are located. However, it is also because of this connection that I am almost certain that the Harpoon Vassal Weapon, the Mirror Vassal Weapon, the Book Vassal Weapon, and the Legendary Hunting Tool have all been compromised."

"Compromised. You mean, by the Vanguard?"

The Spirit in the shape of a man nodded grimly. "As I told you before, our enemies in the Vanguard usually possess odd, eclectic powers. If nothing else, they all without fail possess the ability to highjack and control Legendary and Vassal Weapons, stealing them from the rightful Heroes. My connection to the Spirits I mentioned just now has grown muted. In fact, I can barely feel them at all. And when that happened in the past, it is my experience that it nearly always turns out to be because of the exact same reason…"

"Stolen by the enemy," Shirou muttered, eyes narrowing.

"Exactly."

"Than we need to rescue these Spirits."

"Also correct," the sharp blue eyes of the Spirit turned to look in a certain direction, turning 'his' head to the east. "The Mirror Vassal Weapon and the Legendary Hunting Tool are the nearest of the Spirits. They are also rather close to each other. My advice? Seek out those two Spirits first and, if necessary, eliminate their wielders if they turn out to be a part of the Vanguard."

"How will I be able to tell if they are illegitimate Heroes or not?"

"…As I mentioned, these Vanguards have…peculiar, venomous, and truly grating personalities. They are also prone to collecting harems. On top of that, their souls do not match their bodies at all. If you can somehow take a look at their souls, it will be obvious if someone is a proponent of the Vanguard or not," the Spirit said after a bit of a pause. "Unfortunately, I have no further advise for you on this matter. You'll just have to meet them, look for the signs, and – if necessary – rely on your instincts."

At that, Shirou grunted in displeasure. Relying on his instincts on a matter of such importance was the last thing he would want to do.

The Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon turned 'his' eyes back to 'his' wielder. "Aside from that, the legitimate Heroes of this world need to be told about the true threat lurking in the shadows. Merely being forewarned on matters such as this might literally change everything."

"Warn them…That would include L'arc and Glass, too, huh?" Shirou said, more to himself than anyone else.

"Yes," the Spirit nodded curtly. "I have seen your own records as well, my wielder. Because of that, I am aware that you have fought fierce battles against the wielders of the Scythe and the Fan. However, from what I saw in your records, I do not believe that this L'arc and Glass are a part of the Vanguard. Even if an alliance or even a non-aggression pact were to be impossible with them, the continued existence of the world itself demands we warn them about the Vanguard of the Waves."

That, Shirou found he could not deny, even if he didn't like said conclusion. It was without question that L'arc and Glass were his enemies. And if it came down to it, he would still very much treat them as such. However, in light of everything he had been told, he would warn them nonetheless.

Regardless of their reasons and attempt to try and kill Naofumi and the other Holy Heroes of his world, that did not mean that their world deserved oblivion in return. Which was exactly what would happen if the Ones Who Call Themselves Gods and their Vanguard got their way.

"…Huh?"

All of a sudden, a noise of surprise slipped from Shirou's lips. He cocked his head, blinking as something occurred to him.

"Wait, you just said you saw 'my records' as well. What do you mean by that?"

"Astute of you to notice, my wielder. However, I think the meaning of those words should be rather obvious by now," the Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon said. "Remember, this world, this endless forge, is your soul. But at the same time, it's so much more than that. Just like for every other person, one's soul houses literally everything about you. This includes your thoughts, your experiences, your memories, and your history. In that regard, the recording of all of that, your soul is no different from anyone else's."

That was undoubtedly true. His father's Magecraft lessons – sparse and incomplete as they had been – had taught Shirou as much about the basics of the soul.

"But at the same time, this mundane yet crucial function of the soul will be your key to far greater strength and power than you already have," the Spirit declared. "Once you master your soul – this endless forge – and bring its power to the forefront, into your very flesh, few could ever hope to be your equal. Even those in the Vanguard, with their unfair advantages and illegitimate powers, will be hard-pressed to match you."

A moment of silence.

"That's my final piece of advice: master your soul and use it to its fullest potential."

Shirou's mind was racing, trying to deceiver what exactly the words of the Spirit meant. However, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't figure out what was being alluded to.

"Look at your Menu, my wielder."

"My Menu?" Shirou mouthed the words below his breath, even more confused. He called up his Menu, the screen filling his field of vision, idly noting in the back of his mind that he had never actually used Status Magic while in this world, inside his very own soul…

"…!"

Shirou froze, eyes wide in disbelief as he looked at his status.

"Your soul, unlike any other I have ever been connected to, is a world all its own," the Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon intoned, the words reverberating through the air. "And just like many other worlds out there in the ether, this world records your accomplishments, including your victories in battle and the experience you have accrued during said battles."

Seen only by Shirou's wide-eyed gaze, his Level was displayed in the very upper right corner of his field of vision.

Shirou LV: 146

"How…?"

"My wielder, did you never wonder how it is that you still benefited from increased Stat growth? Even though you are no longer in a party with a Holy Hero?"

"…Are you saying that…?" Shirou's mind, having screeched to halt a moment before, began racing again.

The Spirit looked at him, a deep sense of intrigue in 'his' eyes. "Though we haven't been bound together for long, fastened to your soul as I am, I can clearly see it's nature and the underlying laws that govern it. I do not know how this happened, but somehow, someway, your soul has taken on rules and powers that should be the unique traits of actual, full blown realities and the Spirits that protect those worlds…"

It went without saying that the discussion between the Katana Hero and the Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon would continue for many, many hours.

---

"Shirou-sama? Shirou-sama?"

A hand was on his shoulder, shaking him with a hint of urgency.

"Wake up. We have a bit of a situation."

Those words pierced his mostly still asleep mind like a knife, kickstarting it better than any shot of caffeine ever could. Shirou sat up, abruptly fully awake.

"What's going on?" unconsciously, and though he was still sitting on the ground, Shirou had readied the Katana Vassal Weapon for use.

Standing over him, Atla looked uncharacteristically worried.

"I think we might have been made," she said.

If he wasn't awake before, he was now. In the blink of an eye, Shirou was on his feet and ready for action.

"There's someone on the roof of this building," Atla added, 'looking' straight up.

Though Shirou couldn't 'see' through walls like Atla could, he nonetheless looked up at the ceiling, clearly apprehensive.

"It's a woman, about mid-twenties, I think," Atla was quick to say. "I don't think she is a fighter. I can see her Level from here, and it's way too low for a frontline combatant. That, and I can't sense any hostile intent from her."

"Still, she scaled a building we are hiding in…" Shirou let the words linger.

"…!"

"What is it?" he was quick to ask as Atla visibly started.

"She just pulled out a pendant, I believe it's an accessory of sorts," Atla said quickly. "It's in the shape of a katana, almost an exact replica-"

"Of the Katana Vassal Weapon," Shirou cut in. Instantly, a hunch came to him about what exactly this presumed accessory was meant to do. And if that hunch turned out to be true…

Outside, it was still dark. It was so early in the morning that the sun wasn't even beginning to show itself, the moon providing just enough light to be able to see clearly if you gave your eyes enough time to adjust.

A petite, slim figure atop the warehouse crouched down, shadows thrown by the surrounding buildings hiding the person in question almost entirely from view. The woman, for Atla had already identified her as such, held a pendant in front of her face. Like Shirou had guessed, the pendant in question was an almost exact replica of the Katana Vassal Weapon, including the green jewel set into the hilt of the weapon. The tiny green jewel was glowing, while the blade of the small replica was pointed straight down.

Right where Atla and Shirou were hiding.

"He is definitely here," the woman muttered. "Now, I just need to approach him without startling him-"

Suddenly, the pendant shuddered and moved rapidly, its replica blade shooting towards the left, right, moving in a wide circle, and then back to the left in the span of a mere heartbeat.

"Wha?! Does he know I am here?!" the woman hissed. "If he runs now, I might never-!"

Fortunately for the woman, neither Shirou nor Atla intended to run. Unfortunately for the woman, not running away did not mean that they would let her be.

WHACK!

Was the sound as Atla, having suddenly appeared behind the woman, chopped her in the back of the neck. The strike had just the merest sliver of Life Force, nor was it a particularly forceful attack, but it had been aimed at just the right spot to immediately knock the woman out cold on impact.

As soon as she was struck, the woman's eyes widened almost comically before glazing over. Before she could fall limp on the roof, a set of hands caught her. The pendant she had been holding fell from her suddenly nerveless fingers, but Atla managed to snag the accessory out of the air before it could fall to the ground.

Shirou quickly hoisted the woman up, carrying her princess-style. He nodded at Atla, who nodded wordlessly back. Without a moment to waste, the duo was quick to jump back down to the ground, making no noise whatsoever as they landed on the stone road. In the span of a second, they were back inside. Another second, and they were once again underneath the protective envelope of the Ruby and Jade Rings of Illusions.

Producing a thick set of ropes, Shirou was quick to tie the woman up securely, her arms held together behind her back with several knots. Laying the woman down on her side, Shirou turned to Atla, who promptly handed the katana-shaped pendant to him.

Holding the replica of the Katana Vassal Weapon up to his face by the chain it was secured to, Shirou's magical energy suffused the accessory. With a combination of Structural Analysis and his experience with Enchantments and crafting, it didn't take him long to figure out what exactly the accessory did.

"…I guessed as much," Shirou muttered to himself, visibly miffed.

An accessory keyed to the signature of the Katana Vassal Weapon which, together with half a dozen other exoteric Enchantments, allowed it to point towards the location of the Katana Vassal Weapon at all times. Not unlike dowsing rods used to find underground water sources, actually.

Shirou was quick to convey his findings to Atla, who quipped-

"Well, that's not good."

"Wake her up. We need to question her."

Atla nodded without argument, crouching down to pull the woman up in a sitting position. Shirou took a moment to observe the woman in question.

The woman was petite, only half a head taller than Atla. Decked out in a pure white and a dull red kimono, she was the stereotypical image of a miko priestess. This image was only strengthened by her youthful, well-kept appearance, as her deep green hair – cut into a picture-perfect bob cut – framed her face just right. Even as the woman in question was sat up straight by Atla and woken up by another quick jab of Life Force, her appearance remained immaculate.

"Ugh," the woman blinked slowly as she came to, revealing deep green eyes and groaning softly. "What hap-"

Her mouth clamped shut as Shirou crouched down, getting face to face with her. The woman in the miko priestess outfit looked straight at him, wide-eyed. Said wide eyes darted to the Katana Vassal Weapon held in Shirou's offhand at his side, before darting back up to his face.

"My lord," were the words that followed nary a beat later, the miko priestess bowing her head to him.

Evidently, the woman was quick on the uptake and even quicker to collect herself. Instantly, she had realized that she had been struck unaware and captured, but didn't show even an iota of fear. To be frank, Shirou himself was more caught off guard than she was. By her first words to him, if nothing else.

"Who are you, and why did you seek me out?" Shirou questioned, ruthlessly suppressing his own surprise at how she had addressed him.

"I'm Kuki Chiori, the last attendant of the Katana Vassal Weapon temple," the now named Chiori said without missing a beat. "My clan has served the Katana Hero for generations. I sought you out to offer you any service I can provide and give you shelter from those who are searching for you."

"You would aid me even though I am a wanted fugitive?" Shirou asked with a raised brow.

"As the Katana Hero, I owe you my loyalty by default. It is my duty as someone born from the Kuki bloodline," Chiori said simply, as if stating a fact so obvious that it needed no repeat mention or questioning of its authenticity.

Shirou considered that for a brief moment, before moving on to the next question. "You used this," he said, holding up the pendant shaped in the likeness of the Katana Vassal Weapon. "To find me. Are there any more accessories like this? Which can be used to find the Katana Vassal Weapon and its wielder?"

"No," was the immediate answer. "There used to be many more such accessories – Replica Katana Vassal Weapon Pendants – and tools in the past, if the records in the temple are to be believed. But all of those have been destroyed in the ages since. Only that one pendant remains."

Shirou regarded the bound miko priestess for a long moment. He turned his eyes up at Atla, who had been quietly holding Chiori up in a sitting position all this time, standing behind her. He raised a questioning eyebrow at her.

"She told us nothing but the truth, Shirou-sama," even Atla looked surprised at her own words. As she didn't know the local language, Atla hadn't actually understood a word Chiori had said. However, as her Life Force based senses worked regardless of language barrier, she had still been able to divine that, whatever the miko priestess had told Shirou, it had been the unvarnished truth and nothing else.

"Huh, so I haven't taken leave from my instincts," Shirou mumbled. He himself had detected no lies in Chiori's words, but the truth was more unbelievable than lies in this case. "Fair enough. Cut her loose."

Shing!

With the slice of a single Life Force empowered finger, Atla did exactly that. The cut ropes fell to the ground. Shirou was quick to haul a visibly caught off-guard Chiori up to her feet.

"Apologies for knocking you out and tying you up."

"No, uh, considering your situation, I can't fault you for being cautious," Chiori rubbed her wrists, which had been bound by rope moments before. "…I'll be frank, I'm surprised you came to believe me that quickly. Why…?"

"Atla's ability to detect lies is full proof," Shirou said with a shrug. "Even if she could be fooled, you'd first have to know about her unique abilities. And no one in this world, except for me, does."

"I see," Chiori muttered. "That does make sense, I guess…"

As she said that, Chiori looked them both up and down. By this point, Atla had walked out from behind the miko priestess to stand beside Shirou. Her eyes briefly lingered on their extra set of fury ears and fluffy tails, clearly taking note of them, before looking them both directly in the eyes. Whatever she thought about their 'extra' bits, the miko priestess didn't think it relevant to their coming discussion.

"My lord," Chiori said, inclining her head respectfully. "Please, come with me to the Katana Vassal Weapon temple. You will be safe there."

Shirou considered that offer for a moment, translating for Atla's benefit.

"We are plenty safe here," Atla pointed out.

"I can see that," Chiori admitted after Shirou had relayed his girlfriend's response, glancing at the Ruby and Jade Rings of Illusion laying off to the side inside of an active magic circle. "However, what you have used to conceal yourselves will be just as effective at the temple as here. Moreover, there are several things at the temple that I wish to share with you that will be useful to the Katana Hero. And…If nothing else, I have several spare beds."

"…Those beds do sound tempting," Atla allowed as soon as Shirou had once again acted as translator. Sleeping on the ground, even with a soft sheet, wasn't exactly comfortable. And though she had long since grown used to doing so, it was still not something she enjoyed.

"Wouldn't the risk of us being found at the Katana Vassal Weapon temple be bigger, though?" Shirou asked. "I mean, that's one of the first places I myself would go and look for the Hero of the Katana."

At that, Chiori shrugged. "You'd be right, my lord, and the Katana Vassal Weapon temple has already been searched by quite a rowdy bunch not even an hour ago. Not having found you there, they have long since left the premises, leaving quite a mess behind that I had to clean up, too…" the last part of the sentence came out in an annoyed mumble.

"And you're sure you yourself are not being actively surveilled right now?"

"Positively," Chiori said without a hint of doubt. "I may not be much of a fighter, but thanks to the miko priestess teachings of the temple, I am quite well suited to stealth related activities. If I were being watched, I would be aware and act to counter, but no one has been keeping track of me."

As Chiori talked and Shirou continued to translate, Atla had visibly been concentrating, extending her 'sight' in all directions as far as she could.

"I believe she is right, Shirou-sama," Atla added. "If nothing else, there's no one close enough to be able to keep tabs on her."

Shirou mulled the situation. He shared a 'look' with Atla, who nodded back.

"Sure, we would like to take you up on your offer, Chiori."

"Thanks, my lord," Chiori inclined her head again, looking visibly relieved at his choice.

---

With the use of Chiori's stealth skills and their rings of illusion, the trio made the journey to the Katana Vassal Weapon temple without much trouble. As a matter of fact, with Chiori leading them down several back alleys and hidden corridors seemingly built into the very buildings themselves, they barely even saw any of the roving patrols covering nearly every inch of the cityscape.

The last stretch of the journey was entirely underground, the three of them having descended down a hidden staircase, obscured in a narrow alley in between two buildings and further hidden by a subtle set of illusions. That last set of protections had gotten a raised eyebrow out of Shirou.

"…Hmm?" The next thing he realized, however, made Shirou's brow furrow even further, blinking in surprise as he felt a distinctive, but familiar feeling tingle across his skin. Walking beside him in the gloom of the barely lit underground corridor, Atla's feline ears perked up as the same sensation washed over her.

"That's…" she mumbled.

"A Bounded Field," Shirou confirmed. They had just crossed an invisible, magical boundary.

"The temple's innate protections," walking ahead of them with a lit torch, Chiori confirmed their thoughts. "According to the old records, the protections have degraded over time. Because of what happened at the previous Katana Vassal Weapon temple, the temple grounds of this 'new' temple once had the ability to prevent any kind of violence on its premises. Now, all it does is act as an early warning system if someone with violent intentions were to approach the grounds…and ensure privacy by acting as a barrier to keep sounds in."

At the end of that sentence, they also reached the end of the corridor, a flight of stairs leading upwards suddenly appearing from the gloom.

"The previous Katana Vassal Weapon temple…?" Shirou mused. Once again, he was acting as translator and had kept Atla abreast of what Chiori was telling them.

"…If I were to hazard a guess, taking into consideration the protections you mentioned, the previous temple was brought to ruin by infighting," Atla said.

It was blindingly obvious which temple they were talking about: the temple they had found at the end of the dungeon they had to conquer in order to earn the right to enter the world proper.

"Something like that," Chiori said as Shirou translated Atla's words, as they began to ascend the flight of stairs. "Even the old records weren't entirely clear on what happened, but…some kind of dispute broke out on who would have the right to become the Katana Hero at the time. This led to the rise of factions in the temple, who soon were at each other's throats. First with words, but not long after with their fists and blades. Which, honestly, still confuses me to this day. The Katana Vassal Weapon chooses its wielder, everyone knows that…"

They reached the end of the flight of stairs. Scant light could be seen peeking through some kind of groove in the stone. Chiori's free hand reached out.

"Because of that incident, my ancestors abandoned the previous temple. And words of caution were from then on told to any prospective servant of the temple."

TAP-TAP-RUMBLE!

With a double tap of her fingers, the stone began to rumble, seemingly folding away slowly to reveal a moon- and star-filled sky beyond.

"'Those who are proclaimed as geniuses are able to see and grasp opportunities where others do not,'" Chiori intoned as they stepped foot onto the temple grounds. "'But take heed, oh servant of the people, because a genius without compassion and sense is but an apostle of social growth and decay, a destabilizing cancer to social mores and the prosperity of society.'"

Shirou's expression tightened. The Vanguard of the Waves, he thought. After what he had been told in his sleep by the Katana Vassal Weapon Spirit, it didn't take a lot of brainpower to figure out who these 'geniuses' really were. And considering how this Vanguard apparently operates, bringing down the previous Katana Vassal Weapon temple would line up nicely with what he had been told.

His expression lightened as they stepped out into the open air. Said expression turned to mild surprise as they left the thicket of trees the secret passageway was hidden in, allowing him to see the temple of Katana Vassal Weapon.

The temple in question was medium size, with multiple green roofs forming a striking contrast with the crimson color underneath the overhang and the crimson support beams out in front. Fine white sand surrounded the temple, covering every inch of the ground from the temple entrance all the way to the high walls surrounding the complex. A crimson torii gate was to their left, being the only way in or out. A long set of stone stairs could be seen descending just beyond the torii gate, thick trees framing the descent.

In simple terms, from the outside at the very least, it appeared to almost be a one-to-one replica of the temple at the end of the Dungeon. Which did make sense, actually, but the sheer likeness of it all momentarily threw Shirou. If it wasn't for the night sky up above, he might have believed that they had been transported back to the Dungeon temple.

"Let's get inside," Chiori said.

Wordlessly, the two demi-humans followed the miko priestess into the temple. Just like outside, the inside of the temple was almost an exact copy with but a few subtle differences here and there.

Chiori led them towards a room in the back, passing several doors in quick succession.

"Normally, I would have preferred to wait until morning for this after we have all had a little time to rest, but…" Chiori trailed off, sighing. "As we don't know how long you two will be staying, I think it best if I immediately show you what I want to give you."

"…I find it odd that no one else seems to be occupying the temple," Atla commented, once again having her words relayed by Shirou to their host. Clearly, she had extended her 'sight', only to find no one else on the premises.

"You did call yourself the 'last attendant of the Katana Vassal Weapon temple' earlier," Shirou mused aloud, shooting a concerned look to Chiori's back. "Are you…?"

"Don't worry, it's not what you think," Chiori waved errantly over her shoulder without looking back at them. "There's a small compound at the foot of the stairs leading up to the temple proper. About two dozen people, both family of mine and people we employ, live there. They help me with day-to-day operations of the temple. When I said I was the last attendant, it would have been more accurate to call myself the only miko priestess. Usually, there are at least three serving miko priestesses at any given moment, but my generation got a bit unlucky. I was the only one born with the necessary talent to be a miko priestess."

Shirou shot Atla a look from the corner of his eye, who nodded back wordlessly. Again, there had been no lie in Chiori's words.

The rest of their short journey continued in silence, until they were brought to a secluded room in the back of the temple. The moment they stepped inside, several magical lights lit up automatically, illuminating the small, mostly empty chamber.

As a matter of fact, the room itself was by all accounts entirely mundane except for two things.

One: closed drawers lined the walls from the floor all the way up to the ceiling, clearly built into the room as it was constructed. It was almost as if a small warehouse had been compressed into a single small space.

Two: in a small alcove at the very end of the room, the only spot where there were no drawers to be seen, a set of equipment was laid out on display.

Kimono of the Katana Hero.

Warrior Spirit Obi-Sash.

Zōri Sandals of Fastidious Fortitude.

The ensemble of equipment was an intricate whole of white and crimson. The upper part of the kimono - the chest area and the long, billowing sleeves – were white as snow, with a few precious crimson lines embroidered onto the sleeves' edges. The part of the kimono that would cover everything from the waist down was a uniform and vivid crimson, the exact same shade of freshly spilled blood.

The obi-sash was mostly crimson as well, but had a few dashes of white running along its length as well, fitting in perfectly with both the snow white upper part and the vivid crimson of the lower part of the kimono.

The zōri sandals, while admittedly rather plain visually compared to the other pieces of equipment, provided the finishing touch.

Automatically, Shirou appraised the kimono, obi-sash, and zōri sandals with his Status Magic. In a flash, their base Stats and Enchantments appeared in his field of vision. Which, while certainly impressive, did not exceed the protection and benefits afforded by his own handcrafted armor-

"…!"

Or, at least, that's what he thought until a single Enchantment – applied to all three pieces of equipment – appeared in his field of view right as he finished his appraisal.

[Enchantment: Equipment Power Link = Vassal Katana/Katana Hero (ingrained spell)]

The implications of that were as obvious as they were mindboggling.

"Armor and equipment that grows stronger with the Katana Vassal Weapon and its wielder?" Shirou muttered under his breath, stunned.

Disregarding how incredibly useful that would be, the mere fact that such a specialized Enchantment even existed was enough to throw him for a loop. Clearly, in spite of his talent and unfair advantages, he still had a lot to learn about what could be accomplished through the use of Enchantments.

"My lord. This," Chiori said, standing aside and bowing her head solemnly. "Is one of things I wanted to pass onto you. As the Hero of the Katana Vassal Weapon, this equipment is yours by right."

"That's not all, is there?" Atla murmured, a look of wonder on her face. "These shelves…"

Smiling as soon as Shirou had once again acted as translator between the two women, Chiori ran her hand over a series of shelves to her right. She pulled them all open one by one, revealing that the shelves were all filled to the brim with ores, gems, and precious metals.

Shirou saw that and cast his gaze across the room, with walls filled from the top to the bottom with shelves. He turned his gaze to Chiori, eyebrow raised.

"My clan's main task is to serve the Katana Hero," Chiori said in answer. "And though our bloodline has no talent for straight on combat, the resources and wealth we stockpiled over the generations have always proven useful to the chosen Hero of the Katana Vassal Weapon."

"…You wouldn't happen to have a forge here, would you?"

"They do, Shirou-sama," Atla said, now appearing almost amused.

Chiori walked to her left and pressed her hand to one particular shelf. As soon as she touched it, a spark of magical energy flickered across the surface of the shelf, which pulled back into the wall with a whir-clicking noise. In a cascading ripple from that first shelf outwards, the surrounding shelves and wall folded themselves a way, creating an opening to a hidden room beyond.

And what for room was that, you might ask? That question was answered as magical lights lit up and illuminated the space, revealing a small but well-maintained smithy. The fire of the forge in the back set itself ablaze automatically, ready for use.

"Many previous Katana Heroes, aided by the powers of their Vassal Weapon, were accomplished craftsmen and smiths with precious few equals in their chosen craft," Chiori answered before they could even ask, once again bowing her head. "We of the Kuki clan have always sought to facilitate such things."

Ah, that's right. I had almost forgotten, Shirou thought absently. Through attaining new Weapon Forms, Legendary and Vassal Weapons could also make their wielders more effective in certain more mundane tasks besides combat. Like cooking, crafting, and – not to forget – forging.

"…Kuki Chiori."

The miko priestess visibly perked up as Shirou said her name, pronunciation formal and carrying a deep meaning.

"As the chosen Hero of the Katana Vassal Weapon, I hereby thank you and your clan for your aid and tireless efforts over the ages. No matter what may happen in the future, it is my sincerest hope that the Kuki bloodline and the Hero of the Katana Vassal Weapon will always be stalwart allies."

With that said, Shirou bowed deeply to Chiori. Compared to what he was being offered on a silver platter, validating Chiori and her bloodline's efforts was the least he could do.

"…Thank you, my lord. Truly."

---

Four days.

Shirou and Atla had stayed at the Katana Vassal Weapon temple for a mere four days before trouble came knocking.

Chime!

A resonant bell echoed through the halls and rooms of the temple. The sound in question was clear and sharp, making Shirou's and Atla's animal ears twitch even as Chiori started visibly in alarm.

"Is that…?"

"The warning system," Chiori confirmed. Someone with hostile intent was approaching the temple grounds.

The three of them were sitting in a small room, sitting on the ground with their legs folded underneath them, idly drinking some tea. It had been another busy day for all of them.

Besides her usual duties as a miko priestess and tending to Shirou and Atla, Chiori had been telling them all sorts of useful tidbits regarding the Legendary/Vassal Weapons, the nations of this world, and important historical information. All to better prepare and arm them for when they were to set out again on their journey.

Atla had mostly been busy with her usual training, a good chunk of which was now dedicated to her new music based magic.

Shirou, for his part, had foregone training entirely for the last four days. Almost all his time had been dedicated to forging, crafting, and vigorously using the Strengthening Methods available to him. By making use of the stockpiled resources of the Katana Vassal Weapon temple, he had made immense progress on all counts.

Today had been no different. All three of them had been so busy with their respective duties and tasks that the entire day seemed to have gone by in the blink of an eye. And now, having come together after sunset – the moon and stars readily visible in a cloud free sky – a wrench was suddenly thrown into their usual proceedings.

"What's the situation?" Shirou sat his tea down with an audible clink.

"Several dozen people are coming up the stairs leading to the temple. All of them have hostile intent to varying degrees," Chiori answered succinctly, the Bounded Field of the temple informing her through magical means.

Atla had similarly sat down her tea even before Shirou had relayed Chiori's words, a look of concentration on her face. "I see them," she muttered aloud, her range of 'view' extended. "There's one man of moderate strength in the bunch, but…all the others are women."

At that, Shirou blinked before his eyes narrowed dangerously. In the back of his mind, a dark suspicion took root.

"Only one guy and several dozen women…?" Chiori repeated as soon as had Shirou explained Atla's findings, obviously perplexed.

"The man seems to be holding an accessory identical to the one Chiori used to find us," Atla added. "It's pointing right towards the temple."

"What!?" the moment Shirou had informed her of that titbit of information, Chiori exclaimed loudly, the matter of the lopsided enemy composition suddenly having vanished from her mind. She surged to her feet. "That's not possible! The one I gave you-!"

Chiori pointed towards the Replica Katana Vassal Weapon Pendant hanging from Atla's neck on a simple silver chain. To ensure that the accessory in question couldn't fall into enemy hands, she had decided to give it to them. Atla had called 'dibs' immediately, quite happy at having an accessory that could always point her to Shirou without fail.

"-is the only one remaining of its kind! Our records are clear on that!"

"Apparently, those records of yours are wrong," Atla shook her head as Shirou continued to act as translator. "These pendants are small and easily hidden away. One surviving beyond your temple's knowledge wouldn't be that much of a surprise. Even if your ancestors used magical means to keep track of tools like this, countering it is always a possibility for anyone competent with magic."

"That's not!-no, wait, it doesn't manner," Chiori visibly calmed herself. "All that matters right now is that…"

"…That they know I am here," Shirou finished. Though he was still sitting on the ground, his hand had wrapped around the hilt of the Katana Vassal Weapon resting in his lap.

For his part, he expected that this other accessory capable of tracking him probably hadn't been in possession of this country's leadership all along. Because, if that were the case, they would have used it to find Shirou right away shortly after he had attained the Katana Vassal Weapon. They would not have waited several days to do so.

No, it was more likely that they had stumbled across the means to find the Katana Vassal Weapon only recently. And then they had promptly used it as soon as they realized what exactly they had found.

All of that was irrelevant, though. Because now he needed to decide their plan of action.

"My lord, what will you do?"

"…Chiori, are you sure you, your family, and your employees will be alright no matter what the fallout of harboring us will be?"

"I am," Chiori said, answer resolute and free of doubt.

Though she had been the only one born in this generation with the necessary talent to become a miko priestess, her family and employees were one and all trained in stealth, espionage, and survival skills. Moreover, through the use of several magical means, what amounted to the entire Katana Vassal Weapon temple and its resources could be packed up and spirited away in less than 10 minutes if necessary. Couple that with secret passageways that could be used to escape into many different directions…

This 'backup' plan had been born out of the fallout of the previous temple's demise, having been practiced for many generations but thankfully never having been necessary to employ. This day, however, that might just change.

"Whatever you chose to do, my lord, you can do it with the knowledge that no one of mine or other innocent people will be harmed. I can assure you of that," Chiori finished, head held high.

"…"

Without a further word, Shirou stood. In his grasp, the blade of the Katana Vassal Weapon glinted, seeming almost eager for what was soon to come.

"Let's go deal with our guests, shall we?"

Removing a means to track them from hostile forces. To test how strong he had gotten. To confirm his myriad suspicions and what he had been told. To put his new gear through its paces. To potentially eliminate an enemy of the entire world. For all those reasons of varying importance, Shirou uncharacteristically decided on a head-on confrontation with an unknown enemy.

---

Step. Step. Step. Step. Step.

The sound of several dozen feet marching briskly up a long and steep set of stone stairs could be heard. At the top, the deep crimson torii gate that indicated the boundary between the outside and the Katana Vassal Weapon temple grounds proper waited.

Step. Step. Ste-

The pounding of feet came to an abrupt halt. A figure had emerged at the top of the stairs, framed on all sides by the torii gate. The figure, a young man, peered down on the length of the stone stairs that was filled by an enemy host that radiated hostility.

For once, the youth in question had elected to not modify his appearance with illusions. For the first time, by his own choice in a good while, the newly appointed Hero of the Katana Vassal Weapon allowed himself to be seen in full.

Bone white hair, the exact same shade as his fluffy raccoon ears and tail. Eyes the color of blood, burning with intensity. The face of a young man that had only recently attained adulthood, mildly tanned by long days traveling on the road. He was decked out in the customary equipment of the Katana Hero, but modified by his own steady and skilled hands.

The form of the Kimono of the Katana Hero was much the same as it had always been, but its colors had changed. The part of the kimono covering everything from the waist down remained a vivid crimson; however, the chest area and its long, billowing sleeves had shifted from snow white to the deepest of blacks, making the decorative crimson lines on the kimono's upper part look all the more stark.

The Warrior Spirit Obi-Sash stood out in how little it had changed, still being as blood red as ever, only with its dashed white line having become black while the Zōri Sandals of Fastidious Fortitude had not – visually, at least – changed one whit at all.

Kimono of the Katana Hero Mark II: Base Defence: 200 / Attack Up (Max) / Enchantment: Fire Resistance (Max) / Earth Resistance (Max) / Agility up: (High) / Life Force Regeneration (High) / Armor Recovery/Regeneration (ingrained spell) / Equipment Power Link = Vassal Katana/Katana Hero (ingrained spell) [Blessing: High Max / Medium High]

Warrior Spirit Obi-Sash Mark II: Base Defence: 120 / Defence Up (Max) / Attack Endurance (High) / Light Resistance (High) / Darkness Resistance (Max) / Armor Recovery/Regeneration (ingrained spell) / Equipment Power Link = Vassal Katana/Katana Hero (ingrained spell) [Blessing: High Max / Medium High]

Zōri Sandals of Fastidious Fortitude Mark II: Base Defence: 90 / Base Agility: 125 / Agility Up (Max) / Vitality Up (High) / Stamina Regeneration (High) / Armor Recovery/Regeneration (ingrained spell / Equipment Power Link = Vassal Katana/Katana Hero (ingrained spell) [Blessing: High Max / Medium High]

On top of all that, several new pieces of equipment had been added. Equipment that had been made by combining the material of his old equipment, skills/knowledge gained in the previous and current world, and resources provided by the Katana Vassal Weapon temple.

A pure white composite/layered samurai chest piece covered the young man's torso, secured tightly to his body by armored straps around his shoulders and midriff. Thin, but sturdy vambraces covered his forearms underneath the long, billowing sleeves of the kimono, made out of a well-treated black leather underlayer and a composite crimson armor on top. The hip guards and greaves protecting the youth's hips and legs, respectively – even if the greaves were hidden entirely underneath the Kimono of the Katana Hero – were of the same design and color, obviously forming a set with the vambraces.

Katana Hero's Samurai Chest Piece: Base Defence: 225 / Base Vitality: 135 / Air Wake (Max) / Defence Up (Max) / Hardening (ingrained spell) / SP Recovery (High) / Shadow Resistance (High) / Armor Recovery/Regeneration (ingrained spell) / Equipment Power Link = Vassal Katana/Katana Hero (ingrained spell) [Blessing: High Max / Medium High]

Vambraces of Iron Resolve: Base Defence: 140 / Enchantment: Air Wake (Max) / Defence Up (Max) / Hardening (ingrained spell) / Lightning Resistance (High) / Magic Recovery (Medium) / Armor Recovery/Regeneration (ingrained spell) / Equipment Power Link = Vassal Katana/Katana Hero (ingrained spell) [Blessing: High Max / Medium High / Low Medium]

Hip Guards of Unassailable Resolution: Base Defence: 140 / Enchantment: Air Wake (Max) / Defence Up (Max) / Hardening (ingrained spell) / Water Resistance (High) / Vitality Up (High) / Armor Recovery/Regeneration (ingrained spell) / Equipment Power Link = Vassal Katana/Katana Hero (ingrained spell) [Blessing: High Max / Medium High]

Greaves of Indomitable Purpose: Base Defence: 140 / Enchantment: Air Wake (Max) / Defence Up (Max) / Hardening (ingrained spell) / Wind Resistance (High) / (Stamina Regeneration (High) / Armor Recovery/Regeneration (ingrained spell) / Equipment Power Link = Vassal Katana/Katana Hero (ingrained spell) [Blessing: High Max / Medium High]

The Katana Vassal Weapon was in the youth's right hand. Its deep green jewel, set into the hilt of the weapon, glinted in the sparse light provided by the moon and stars.

Shirou's crimson eyes roved over the gathered enemy host. After a long moment, he opened his mouth.

"As the Hero of the Katana Vassal Weapon, I ask, what is your purpose here?"

"You!"

In contrast to Shirou's formal but polite question, the barked response was as rude as it was overtly hostile.

A single man stepped forward out of the throng of young women, pointing accusingly at Shirou. He was dressed oddly, with what appeared to be a set of samurai armor over a school uniform. A sheathed katana was strapped to his side. An exact match to the Replica Katana Vassal Weapon Pendant that Atla wore was held in his left hand by its chain.

He was black of hair, long, and pulled back into a low ponytail that ran down his back. His face was sharp and had a passing resemblance to Naofumi's features, actually, though this man's sneer was somehow far more grating than any Shirou had ever seen from the irritable Shield Hero.

"Thief! Filthy thief! The Katana Vassal Weapon belongs to me! How dare you!?"

Shirou, for his part, kept his face impassive in the face of the angry diatribe being hurled at him. "Vassal Weapon's chose their wielders," he flatly countered. "I had no more control of this than you do."

"That's no excuse!" somehow, the sneer on the oddly dressed man's face twisted even more. "I, the one who managed to reverse engineer the teleportation abilities previously unique to Heroes, am far more worthy of the Vassal Weapon than so no name nobody like you! Hand over the Katana Vassal Weapon now! You scoundrel!"

"Yeah! Yeah! A no good cur like you has no business being a Hero!" one of the women behind the man suddenly piped up, looking at Shirou like he was a disgusting insect. "Kazuki-sama, on the other hand, is a hailed genius-"

At the word 'genius', Shirou showed his first reaction, though not on his face. His fingers clenched around the hilt of the Katana Vassal Weapon hard enough for his muscles to audibly pop.

"-Who has achieved great feats and accolades! What is a common cur like you compared to the great Kazuki-sama, huh!?"

The other woman followed suit, alternating between heaping praise on the now named Kazuki and hurling abuse at Shirou. As the women praised and incessantly fawned over him, the sneer on the would-be Hero's face disappeared, replaced by an arrogant and overly self-satisfied grin.

"My women are correct, of course," Kazuki said, and though his voice was calmer now, it was all the more irritating for it. The women behind him visibly swooned as he called them 'his.' "While you hid like a common criminal in this temple, which has lost so much influence over the years that they lost the right to house the Vassal Weapon that is its namesake, I was out in the world, doing great things! You, the chosen Hero!? Don't make me laugh!"

"…I don't want to fight you," Shirou said at length. "If you don't desist, I'll-"

"Shut up, you cur!" The sneer was back, as was the harsh, angry voice. "I have no need of your foul words! Give me the Katana Vassal Weapon, now! Or I'll-"

Lauded as a genius. A harem at his beck and call. A venomous personality, one that was utterly unwilling – or maybe even unable – of listening to anyone not singing his praises.

The Katana Vassal Weapon glowed, transforming from one blink to the next.

At last, Shirou's expression twisted, turning distinctly angry. Almost wrathful, even.

If this wasn't a Vanguard of the Waves-!

[Otherworld Soul Eater Katana – Base Attack: 80 – Equip Bonus: [Spirit Blade: Soul Slice] / Spirit Resistance (Medium) / SP Up (Small) / SP Recovery (Medium)]

[Weapon Experience Points] (Lv: 0): 0 Attack

[Refinement] Lv: 67: 67 Attack

[Spirit Enhancement] Lv: 32: 64% Damage-Increase-Against-Ghostlike

Special Ability: Soul Eat (Medium) / Soul Manipulation

Many materials had been stored and swapped around by the Holy Heroes and their party members during their journey. As luck would have it, a small part of the Soul Eater Boss Monster had been stored inside of Shirou's Item Box Gem. All the materials previously held by said gem had long since been transferred to the Katana Vassal Weapon, unlocking – among other things – the Soul Eater Katana.

Bloodlust erupted from the Katana Hero, blanketing the length of stone stairs almost like a palpable curse. The Katana Vassal Weapon, having lengthened a tad and gained an excessively jagged edge to complement its new guard in the shape of a sadistically grinning ghost, added its own flair of dread to the sudden feeling of hostility surging outwards from Shirou.

"…!"

Everyone froze, their breaths caught in their throats.

With not even the faintest whisper of warning, Shirou was suddenly in Kazuki's face. The Soul Eater Katana came up diagonally from below, its jagged edge seemingly seeking to cut the man from stem to stern as if he were a mere fish to be gutted.

Eyes widening in terror, reflexes took over, and it showed that – if nothing else – Kazuki had quick reflexes. Without even a chant, the would-be Hero's left hand came up, palm held outward straight at the oncoming Shirou's chest as a moderately sized ball of fire manifested in said palm. With a shout, the fireball in question was launched almost at point blank range.

Using magic without a chant spoke of quite a bit of skill at the art, however-

SHING!

The ball of fire was sliced in twain, its two halves passing by Shirou on either side of him. With the same slice, the Soul Eater katana struck its true intended target, tearing into his body diagonally from the hip upwards.

"Powder Snow!"

A skill unique to the Katana Vassal Weapon. The first one Shirou had ever used in life combat.

"…!"

Kazuki let out an exclamation of bewilderment and fear, a spray of white erupting out from him in a wide arc as the katana tore through his entire torso. He stumbled forward, off balance, as Shirou blitzed past him. Halting and turning on a dime, the Katana Hero struck Kazuki in the back with a one-two slice.

"Spirit Blade: Soul Slice! Powder Snow!"

Though the Soul Slice skill could be used to drain SP, if the target didn't possess such a thing, it would default to draining magical energy instead. The Powder Snow skill, however, could only be used to drain magical energy, which would release said energy from a given target in a spray of white that looked like snow as soon as it hit. This second skill enjoyed a far shorter cooldown than the Soul Slice skill, though, which allowed Shirou to use it in quick succession.

In simple terms, these skills did no physical damage to a given enemy whatsoever. Instead, they would effectively diminish an opponent's ability to fight back. The kicker? The greater the disparity between the Katana Hero's Attack Stat and the target's Defence Stat, the greater the amount of SP and/or magical energy to be taken away.

Shirou had always been far more powerful than ordinary adventurers or soldiers could ever hope to be. Setting his own personal advantages aside, being the companion of a Holy Hero guaranteed that. However, before now, he had not been a Hero himself and had not been able to compete with said Heroes on a pure tit-for-tat basis.

But now that he was a Hero on his own merits? Having been given a chance to start making use of some of the Strengthening Methods available to him, he was an order of magnitude stronger than he had been. At the very least, he was now the equal of any Hero he had ever fought before.

Suffice it to say, in his brief but brutal assault, Shirou had drained away all of his opponent's magical energy. In other words: alive, but mostly harmless.

"Kazuki-sama!"

The cry of one of the nameless harem women went unheeded as Kazuki collapsed to his knees with a loud thud, almost collapsing atop the stone stairs. And neither did said cry cause Shirou to hesitate.

"Shadow Bind Blade!"

The Katana Vassal Weapon stabbed into Kazuki's shadow. His kneeling body froze in place, as if he were a character in a video game that had been put on pause. Now, the man was well and truly completely and utterly harmless.

"G-Get away f-from Kazumi-sama, you f-freak!"

Though obviously still terrified, the women rushed up the stairs, brandishing an eclectic bunch of weapons. Two arrows preceded them, aimed right for Shirou's center mass.

Swipe!

The arrows in question were all of a sudden knocked aside in midflight, disappearing into the trees lining the set of stone stairs leading up to the temple. In a shimmer of energy, Atla appeared in the path of the charging women, no longer using her Jade Ring of Illusions to render herself invisible.

"Tut-tut. No touching the merchandise. Shirou-sama is all mine," Atla said those colorful words with her customary excited, battle-hungry grin.

Without further ado, she launched herself down the stairs at the vanguard of the enemy host, a quick series of Life Force enhanced blows sending them flying like chaff in the wind. Her black and white tresses swirled around her in a display beautiful enough to be painted as the several dozen women found their weapons summarily broken and torn away from their grasps, shouts of shock and pain filling the evening air.

Seeing that Atla had things well in hand, Shirou turned his attention back to the still frozen Kazuki.

"Second Katana," he muttered.

Beside him, a second Katana Vassal Weapon appeared. This was a skill he gained when he had copied his very own Wandering Cross Guard Gladius.

Without a word, he took control of said katana with Living Sword Poltergeist. Without ceremony, the katana in question twisted around in midair and plunged tip first into Kazuki's shadow just as he pulled the original Katana Vassal Weapon out. Kazuki remained frozen as ever as a faint shimmer of shadowy energy pulsed down the replica katana and into the man's shadow, Shirou's technique ensnaring him still.

Though becoming a Hero had a few notable tradeoffs, it also came with plenty of advantages. One of which was that, even though a replica katana created by a skill might not be directly in his hands at all times, he could nonetheless use it to unleash skills and techniques whenever needed. An advantage of the Katana Vassal Weapon being directly tied to his soul at a fundamental level.

Previously, except for a few notable exceptions like the Exploding Sword technique, that had just not been possible. In some ways, even though he could no longer manifest and wield nearly as many blades as before, he was still every bit as versatile as had ever been.

None of that was important right now, however. At this moment, all he needed to do was confirm his suspicions.

He walked back around to Kazuki's front and kneeled down to drag him upright by his armor. As they came face to face again, Shirou could see the fear in his eyes. But, maddening outrage was far more apparent in said expression and accompanying reddened face. No words came from his lips, however. Under the influence of the Shadow Bind Blade technique as he was, the power to move said lips was beyond him.

Thankfully, Shirou didn't need Kazuki to talk.

The serrated blade of the Soul Eater Katana came up and was then unceremoniously driven hilt deep into Kazuki's guts. Again, no sound escaped the man, though the sense of fear in his eyes had nonetheless all of a sudden eclipsed his anger. Oddly enough, the man felt no pain, and the blade sticking out of his back was free of blood.

Soul Eat (Medium) and Soul Manipulation. Those were the Special Abilities of the Soul Eater Katana, only usable when the Weapon Form in question was equipped.

Soul Eat was simple. Whenever Soul Eater Katana struck an opponent, it would drain them of SP and/or magical energy. Soul Manipulation, on the other hand, would allow someone to perceive souls sans a body and even manipulate those souls as soon as the blade made contact. It could even do that to still living souls without harming the owner's body.

All of a sudden, Shirou let go of Kazuki as he yanked the Soul Eater Katana out of his stomach. The man's body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

"W-What's h-hap-penni-ng!"

Though the body had collapsed, Kazuki's soul remained impaled on the katana instead.

Shirou's eyes darkened. At the sight before him, the words of the Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon were proven true without a doubt.

Because the soul of Kazuki didn't match his body, at all. The guy on the ground had been young and handsome, but the soul impaled on the Katana Vassal Weapon was that of an older, sad-looking Asian man with a receding hairline and quite an expansive gut.

"Y-You f-freak! What d-did you d-do!?"

The voice of the soul was odd, echoing and being a bit faint, just like the see-through-soul hanging in midair from Shirou's weapon. Even if Kazuki hadn't been a disembodied soul whose lips were quivering madly in fear, causing him to stutter, his voice was completely different now compared to before and totally unsuited to his body's appearance.

"I have no reason to answer your question, reincarnated."

At that, Kazuki's soul fell utterly silent.

"…So, it's true," Shirou muttered to himself. That reaction of utter disbelief and recognition further doubled down on the assertions of the Spirit of his very own Vassal Weapon.

"R-releas-e me! I won't t-tell you a-anythi-!"

"I know."

Shirou swung the Soul Eater Katana to the side. Kazuki's soul went flying, ripped free from the blade impaling his stomach. Without looking back, Shirou began marching down the stairs towards the still ongoing battle between Atla and Kazuki's harem.

Like a yo-yo reaching its maximum extension, the soul of Kazuki suddenly halted, jerking to a stop before abruptly being yanked in the opposite direction, back towards his collapsed body.

It was only natural, after all. The body and soul were inherently meant to be one. Separating them was much like separating two different liquids from each other in an enclosed container. The moment whatever method had been used to separate them was brought to a halt, the two liquids would recombine, just like a body without its soul.

Kazuki didn't know any of this, of course. Nonetheless, his eyes lit up as he realized that, if he could regain his body, he might just be able to turn this around.

Almost the-!

SCHING!-SPLAT!-SPURT!

Kazuki's last thought died. Just like his hope.

Shirou swung the Soul Eater Katana, the blood on its killing edge flying off in a crimson spray. As he continued his march down the steps, Kazuki's body remained prone on the stone stairs, his suddenly separated head rolling away slowly, bouncing down a couple of steps before coming to a halt in a puddle of its own blood.

It made for a grim scene, to put it mildly.

Without even looking at the body, the second he passed by, Shirou had cut Kazuki's momentarily soulless body's head clean off with but a single swing.

There had been no remorse or hesitation. Whatever doubts he might have still harbored regarding what he had been told about the Vanguard of the Waves, said doubts had died the moment Shirou had seen Kazuki's soul, revealing him to be a reincarnated individual.

An individual reincarnated by the Ones Who Call Themselves Gods, sent as the Vanguard of the Waves to cause havoc on their behalf and lead the world to its doom. People who did whatever they pleased, however they pleased, heedless of the wellbeing of others. And who, as he had been informed by the Spirit of the Katana Vassal Weapon, never listened to reason and could not reveal anything about the Ones Who Call Themselves Gods on the pain of death.

"…"

Kazuki died silently, his soul fading away rapidly as soon as his body was slain. All he could do was stare at his own headless corpse in horror before the mercy of oblivion claimed him.

…Shirou's eyes were stormy. Agonized, even.

Killing people like this went against his nature, his ideal. Against who he wanted to be as a hero. However, having come to terms with the fact that saving everyone was an impossibility, he had long since hardened his heart, even if he had similarly resolved to keep striving for that impossible ideal regardless. That was how he had chosen to live, the paradox at the core of his being.

He would continue pursuing his ideal, no matter the inevitable torment that awaited him down that road. Shirou had decided as such long ago, and his conviction had only grown stronger thanks to what he had just done.

Nonetheless, that conviction did little to help his sour mood.

Atla had clearly picked up on that, because as he reached the foot of the stone stairs, she was no longer fighting with excitement and zeal. Though, to be fair, the battle was mostly over by that point.

Nearly all the women who had accompanied Kazuki were laid out on the ground, said ground now having quite a few pockmarks. Their weapons were scattered around in pieces, broken beyond the hope of recovery. Only three of them were still standing, even if they were struggling to do so in their bloody and beaten state.

"…This…This isn't over!" one of them spat, blood dribbling down her lips. "Come here, our pets!"

GROWL!

From behind the three women who remained standing, several tiger-like monsters came prowling over, their gait slow but showcasing incredible strength regardless. Compared to normal tigers, these monsters were huge – at least three times as large in fact. Their fur was mostly white with black streaks, while their fangs and claws were almost comically huge compared to their already enormous physiques.

[White-Tiger Clones Lv: 63]

"How ironic," Atla huffed at the 'sight' of the White Tiger Clones. Visually, they had quite a few traits in common with Hakuko like herself.

There were quite a few of these Hakuko-like monsters, actually. At least fifty of them were approaching ever so slowly. Why hadn't they brought these monsters up the stairs when confronting Shirou for the first time?

"You filthy curs! Surrender!" one of the other women shouted. "These monsters are clones of the White Tiger Guardian Beast! Creations of the great Kazuki-sama! You have no hope of beating them! Surrender and release Kazuki-sama at once! Or you'll-!"

Shirou drove the Soul Eater Katana tip first into his very own shadow.

SCHING!-SPLAT!

Behind the three women, who had abruptly fallen silent, shadow-lined blades in their dozens erupted with incomparable swiftness and power out of the shadows of the White Tiger Clones. All of them were unceremoniously run through by the sudden attack, their paws leaving the ground one and all as they roared and screeched in agony. Writhing in the air, the monsters made for a macabre sight as the veritable forest of shadow-blades kept them aloft, blood running down the blades in question in copious amounts.

Normally, the White-Tiger Clones' existence and what they represented might have interested Shirou.

Now, however?

At this moment, he couldn't have cared less.

The Soul Eater Katana was pulled free from the ground. Rearing the weapon back, Shirou's voice was cold as he announced-

"Stardust Blade."

Suffice it to say, the 'battle' came to an end then and there.

---

Not much to say about this chapter, honestly.

A lot of necessary exposition and set-up work has finally been done with this one. Important, but not the most interesting thing to write about, IMO.

Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy writing this chapter, but combat is so much more fun to write, and while we did have 'fight' near the end of the chapter, I wouldn't call it an honest to goodness combat scene. It was far too short and one-sided for that.

Oh, well. We're getting close to more interesting/fun things in the not-so-distant future. I can't wait!

Stay tuned for the next chapter!