Chapter 3: If Your Words Are Sweet, Then Eat More Candy

Chapter 3: If Your Words Are Sweet, Then Eat More Candy

There are some things in life you’ll never understand until you actually try to do them.

Especially when it comes to movies—a fusion of industry and art—every truly great film carries with it the unimaginable sweat and passion of an entire production crew.

Even with two lifetimes’ worth of experience, even after studying filmmaking in Hollywood, even using legendary Heroic Spirits as his cast, Shinji still found himself reshooting the same few minutes of footage over and over, all in pursuit of the perfect scene he had envisioned.

Between takes, he carefully adjusted each detail, always refining the previous attempt.

For half a day, a crew of dozens worked tirelessly, and only then did they finally capture what Shinji had in mind.

“Finally... it’s done.”

Staring at the footage on the monitor, Shinji let out a breath he didn’t even realize he’d been holding.

This scene in the warehouse wasn’t heavy on action, but in terms of importance, it was easily one of the top moments of the entire movie.

After all, this was the heroine’s first proper appearance on screen—a moment of critical significance for her character.

In his past life, countless fans of the Nasuverse—including Shinji himself—were all bewitched by that one breathtaking image of a knight girl under the moonlight. That was the very scene that dragged them headfirst into the endless spiral that was Type-Moon.

To make sure audiences fell in love with Arturia at first sight, Shinji had pulled out every trick he knew—even going as far as using soft lighting.

It’s a common cinematic technique used to give characters a divine glow. Think of the elves in The Lord of the Rings, who looked like they had built-in filters whenever they appeared.

Of course, Shinji’s approach was anything but traditional.

He had Arturia channel her magical energy directly during the take, causing her armor to shine with a silver, holy light.

Then, with carefully adjusted studio lighting to complement the effect, they created the image of a radiant knight girl, her entire body glowing with sacred brilliance and eyes full of determination.

This was one of the biggest reasons Shinji insisted on using actual magi and Heroic Spirits as his actors—they could add their own special effects on set.

That meant many shots that would normally need expensive post-production could be captured live, saving both time and money.

After wrapping up the scene, Shinji didn’t stop there. He grabbed a camera and took several high-resolution close-up photos of Arturia, material he planned to use later for the film’s marketing.

In those photos, she looked less like a person and more like a Valkyrie descended to Earth—an impossible blend of beauty and strength, captured in a single frame.

Especially her eyes.

Those eyes were everything: noble and clear, yet brimming with unwavering resolve. They didn’t just look at you—they pierced straight into your soul, as if to steal it away.

Only a knight this perfect—this impossible—could stir the hearts of the audience and leave them utterly spellbound.

And that’s exactly what Shinji intended.

The heroine’s debut scene was finally in the can.

But that didn’t mean everything else was smooth sailing.

After all, if Fate/Stay Night was going to set the standard for all magecraft-films to come—if it was going to preserve the secrets at the heart of the magecraft world—then the hard work was only just beginning.

Shinji had recruited a large number of magi for the crew—especially for the cast, which was basically the original Fate/Stay Night lineup brought to life.

Of course, that also meant one thing: the set was packed with amateurs.

Especially the Heroic Spirits, like Arturia. After all, they had been summoned into the modern era—they weren’t exactly ready to jump straight into the world of movie-making.

The action scenes were manageable. As long as they kept their fights within the marked camera zones and avoided damaging the set, things went smoothly enough. The most important part was making sure the camera captured those thrilling moments of combat between Heroic Spirits.

The real challenge for the Fate/Stay Night production team? Dialogue scenes.

Blocking, lines, expressions, gestures— Almost every shoot turned into a minefield of small errors.

Like this scene, for example—Arturia versus Cu Chulainn in the courtyard of the Emiya residence.

Arturia’s combat performance was decent. But the moment they entered a standoff and she had to speak, something felt… off.

To be more precise, her emotions were too on the nose. Her expressions and tone came across as overly dramatic, like she was acting instead of being the character.

“Cut!”

Shinji called the scene off. “That’s good for now. Everyone take a break—we’ll pick back up in an hour!”

Even with his endless energy, Shinji needed a breather after all that.

He slumped down in the living room set of the Emiya house, and Sakura quickly brought him a cup of coffee.

“Thanks, Sakura.”

Savoring his beloved little sister’s handiwork, Shinji’s tense expression finally began to ease.

“I’m sorry, Master…”

Arturia sat on the tatami mat, head lowered.

She knew full well she was the reason they kept reshooting. The guilt gnawed at her.

“It’s all my fault. I wasn’t good enough.”

Shinji waved a hand casually. “Don’t worry about it. Taking things seriously is a good thing. No need to beat yourself up.”

Though he was a bit annoyed inside, seeing Arturia look so adorably flustered and remorseful instantly lifted his mood.

‘New expression unlocked √ Feels like I just got a CG from slowly building a route in a dating sim.’

Putting down his coffee cup, Shinji gave the cool beauty beside him a sidelong glance.

He knew full well that Arturia, proud to her core, wouldn’t take lightly the fact that she was dragging the production down. If she started brooding, it might make future shoots even more difficult.

But Shinji had his own unique methods for handling girls like her.

“Saber, you should loosen up a little. Don’t think so hard about the camera. Just act like you’re really meeting Cu Chulainn in the Holy Grail War. Just… be yourself.”

“The problem is, when I recite lines…” Arturia muttered hesitantly, “I keep thinking about how to say them correctly.”

Shinji watched her carefully. He could hear the determination in her voice—how much effort she was putting into this.

Even if she wasn’t fighting for the Holy Grail, this knightly girl was still the loyal and trustworthy companion she had always been on the battlefield.

“Master, I feel like—”

Arturia looked up, only to find Shinji smiling at her with quiet encouragement.

“You’re already doing great, Arturia.”

Chin in hand, Shinji grinned. “I think you’re capable of something even greater.”

“…Hmm?”

Arturia frowned slightly, unsure of what her Master was trying to pull this time.

Strictly speaking, Shinji wasn’t exactly her ideal Master. She did admire his talent with magecraft, but his personality? Way too flippant. Way too unreliable.

He reminded her all too much of a certain knight she used to command—Sir Lancelot.

That Knight of the Lake—Lancelot—was also incredibly powerful, but... had a certain reputation when it came to his personal conduct. Charming, womanizing, and definitely the type who knew how to make girls swoon.

‘No… this guy’s even more shameless than Sir Lancelot ever was.’

Arturia’s emerald eyes narrowed slightly as she studied the blue-haired boy before her.

Of course, Shinji had no idea his own Servant was silently roasting him in her head. Instead, he excitedly shared a new idea that had just popped into his mind.

“Alright, here’s what I’m thinking—we’ll hang prompt boards on either side of the camera. I’ll write the key information on them. That way, you can just glance at them and improvise naturally. No more struggling to memorize scripted lines word-for-word.”

“…What?” Arturia blinked wide-eyed, as if she'd just been told the Holy Grail could be found in a vending machine. “Is that really okay?”

Before shooting began, she’d attended a short-term acting crash course. Even with limited experience, she still knew how tough improvisation could be.

“Of course it’s okay,” Shinji said with a grin, his face lit up by that devil-may-care smirk of his. “The role was written with you in mind to begin with. This whole film’s about you, so just be yourself in front of the camera—that’s the most perfect performance you could give.”

“…I suppose, when you put it that way…”

Arturia’s faintly troubled expression finally brightened with a flicker of hope.

“So all I have to do… is play myself on screen? Master, you really are a genius!”

“Just call me Shinji,” he said, giving her a confident thumbs-up. “We’re gonna be working together for a long time—no need to be so formal.”

In his previous life, Saber was Type-Moon’s ultimate cash cow. In this one? She’d be his gold mine, his ace, and his queen of hearts.

And with such a top-tier "employee" on hand, Shinji always made sure to treat her right.

Of course, if she’d show a bit more girlish embarrassment every now and then, that would be the cherry on top. Shinji could hardly wait for the day she’d fully open up to him.

“Well then, I’ll go talk to Lancer about your suggestion!”

Arturia stood up with new energy in her steps.

“Thank you again, Mas— I mean, Shinji.”

“I’d prefer you call me ‘Director.’”

“…Yes, Director.”

Though faint, there it was—a smile.

Arturia Pendragon, the once and future king, had actually smiled.

Shinji froze halfway to lifting his coffee cup, locked in that exact pose.

“…That charm is terrifying. I almost fell for her just now. What a dangerously conquerable heroine.”

He muttered under his breath, then rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Come to think of it, this might be the ideal form of acting. Letting the actors play themselves. If it works, maybe I can roll this method out across the whole cast.”

In the industry, it was called “playing yourself”—where an actor portrays a role extremely close to their real-life personality. Audiences find it more natural and relatable. Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark was a textbook example.

And for the Fate/Stay Night crew, every major actor was literally playing a version of themselves from a parallel world. Why force them into a mold, when letting them be authentic could result in something even more brilliant?

“As expected of my amazing older brother—what a genius.”

Sakura praised him from the bottom of her heart.

Shinji puffed out his chest proudly. “Naturally! Who do you think your brother is?”

Unfortunately for him, Sakura’s expression instantly darkened.

“Yes, the infamous playboy of the Clock Tower. Seducing girls so smoothly, it’s almost like second nature to you.”

“W-Wait, Sakura, what are you—?!”

Shinji’s eye twitched wildly.

Somehow, without him noticing, Sakura had dumped a mountain of sugar cubes into his coffee. So many that they no longer dissolved—stacking up like a sugar pyramid in his cup.

“With a mouth that sweet, Onii-sama must really like sugar, right? Here, have more. Wouldn’t want you running out of sweetness next time you’re flirting with Saber.”

“Y-You little devil! Are you trying to kill your big brother with a sugar overdose?!”