Chapter 43: Damn You, Shinji Matou!

                        

Chapter 43: Damn You, Shinji Matou!

Thanks to the protection of his three loyal Servants—Arturia, Cu Chulainn, and Heracles—Shinji ultimately avoided being strangled to death by Gilgamesh humanity first rope.

After a chaotic shouting match that almost turned into a full-blown brawl, the two sides finally reached a grudging compromise.

Gilgamesh agreed to star in the Fate/Zero film and to provide the Noble Phantasms necessary for filming.

In exchange, Shinji promised to fast-track the production of a movie about Gilgamesh and Enkidu, aiming to have it start filming within the next three years.

“Onii-sama, are you sure it's okay to make a promise like that?”

Sakura asked worriedly on the way home.

Shinji forced a smile, clearly not thrilled about it either.

“It’s fine. I never said I’d be the one directing it. I’ll just find some random production with a double-male-lead script and stuff gold-boy and his moss-haired boyfriend into it.”

Sakura tilted her head in confusion.

“But… is there anyone else who even films movies in Fuyuki?”

With a smug raise of his eyebrow, Shinji grinned.

“Not yet. But there will be. Just wait and see.”

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“So… this is why you came crawling back to this old man?”

In the Matou residence’s traditional living room, Zouken Matou stared expressionlessly at his grandson, who was sitting across from him with that irritating, ever-present grin.

“Well, Fate/Stay Night’s a big hit now. It's time to move into Phase Two, Ojii-chan.”

Leaning on his hand with a smirk, Shinji sounded entirely too pleased with himself.

Phase Two. That was what he called his next big plan: using the influence of a successful movie, the cost-effectiveness of Servant actors, and the elite skills of magi-based post-production crews to attract other film crews to shoot in Fuyuki.

Of course, that would only work if Fuyuki had the infrastructure to support such a thing.

That meant the Type-Moon Studios would need to recruit a lot more magus employees… and Fuyuki itself would need proper sound stages and studio facilities.

“For interior shots, I can just use that giant warehouse I used during Fate/Stay Night. As for exterior scenes… Ojii-chan, what do you think about the mountain out back?”

Zouken gave a tired shake of his head at his grandson’s half-baked ideas.

“That mountain’s part of the Einzbern family’s private land. You’d need their approval before laying even one brick, wouldn’t you?”

Unfazed, Shinji pushed a thick stack of documents—the Fate/Zero project proposal—across the table with utter confidence.

“No worries. I’ll just use that wacky married couple of theirs as bait. If I offer them the lead roles, I guarantee Irisviel won’t be able to resist.”

Given Irisviel’s chaotic, fun-loving nature, the moment Shinji pitched her and her husband co-starring in a movie as the leads, she'd probably agree on the spot without even reading the script.

“…I pity every poor bastard who knows you. You’ve got every last one of them wrapped around your little finger,” Zouken muttered.

“Aww, don’t say that, Ojii-chan,” Shinji chuckled, waving a hand. “It’s all mutually beneficial!”

“…I see. But Shinji,” Zouken’s smile suddenly disappeared, replaced by a cold stare as he pointed at the Fate/Zero proposal. “Why do I look like a damn monster in your script?”

“Come on, Ojii-chan. What’s all the creepy stuff Makiri Zolgen did got to do with you, Matou Zouken?”

Whack

Zouken thwacked his grandson on the head with his cane.

“Watch your mouth, brat. He’s still your ancestor.”

“Fine, fine. If it really bothers you, I’ll just rewrite the script and make it so Kariya went crazy after getting dumped. Say he fell into the dark arts after a heartbreak.”

Shinji had always been soft when it came to his own family.

And it’s not like this version of Fate/Zero needed to connect directly to the Heaven's Feel route anyway. So letting his uncle take the fall? No biggie.

“…You really are your uncle’s nephew.”

“Thank you, Ojii-chan. That’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“I WASN’T PRAISING YOU, DAMMIT!”

Zouken, thoroughly fed up, raised his cane again for a second strike.

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Of course, Shinji hadn’t come all this way just to give his grandfather a stroke. He needed help with something much more important.

Specifically, he hoped the old man could introduce him to some prominent magus families in Japan to form partnerships.

With Fate/Stay Night becoming more and more popular, plenty of Japanese magus families were already scrambling for a chance to cozy up to the Matou family.

And that—Shinji knew—was an opportunity just waiting to be exploited.

Shinji wanted his grandfather to pick out the most promising families to work with.

After all, the number of magus he’d need in the future was only going to grow, and cooperating with native Japanese magi was simply unavoidable.

And who better to handle those negotiations than the old man himself? Zouken had deep connections in Japan’s magical society—letting him handle the networking was a no-brainer.

Of course, things weren’t like they used to be.

Back then, Shinji had to beg those families to cooperate, but now? They were the ones knocking on his door, desperate for a chance to ride the wave of his success.

And with how sly and seasoned his grandfather was, Shinji had no doubt he’d secure the best possible deals for the Matou family.

After finishing his talk with Zouken, Shinji returned to his room and promptly passed out for a well-earned nap.

When evening rolled around and sleep finally refused to come any longer, he groggily rolled out of bed and glanced out the window at the golden-orange sunset.

“…Come to think of it, I haven’t checked in on her in a while.”

With that sudden realization, Shinji abandoned the idea of eating dinner at home, lazily got dressed, and strolled out of the Matou estate to pay someone a visit—

The ever-elusive Touko Aozaki.

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Several months had passed since Touko moved to Fuyuki.

By now, she had fully adapted to her new life, role, and surroundings.

Despite Shinji never giving her any official assignments all this time, Touko had kept herself thoroughly busy.

As a magus chasing the mysteries of the Root, her thirst for knowledge was insatiable. And conveniently, Fuyuki had no shortage of arcane knowledge to offer.

Especially when you had a bunch of ancient Heroic Spirits hanging around—living encyclopedias of magic from the Age of Gods.

After spending day after day hanging out with the likes of Cu Chulainn and Li Shuwen, Touko had grown significantly in both her magical theory and technical skill.

In particular, Li Shuwen’s Daoist techniques from ancient China, and Cu’s ancient runic knowledge had opened her eyes to entire schools of thought she’d never encountered before.

She didn’t even have to do anything to earn her monthly paycheck—Shinji still paid her a base salary out of habit—and she got to fill her brain with forbidden knowledge just by chatting with the Servants.

To Touko, this was heaven.

A life where she could immerse herself in the arcane without stress, deadlines, or politics—why would she leave?

Even if someone tried to kick her out of Fuyuki now, she wouldn’t go.

By the time Shinji arrived at her studio, Touko was in the middle of some kind of hands-on project.

She was sprawled across her workbench, right hand carving into a wooden board, left hand scribbling down notes with practiced fluidity.

Shinji noticed she was completely focused, so he didn’t walk in right away.

Instead, he leaned on the doorway, watching quietly.

—Maybe it was because the room was so hot, but Touko had tied her work coat loosely around her waist. On top, she only wore a white, sleeveless tank top that clung tightly to her form.

Shinji had to admit, the view wasn’t bad at all.

Too bad Touko’s figure didn’t quite match his memory of that curvaceous, sultry “Onee-san” he’d once imagined.

Though compared to someone like Rin, Touko’s body was already quite something…

‘So the rumors about her padding her doll bodies were true, huh.’

Since the current world’s mystery had already declined, the Touko here was no longer using a puppet body—which meant Shinji was getting a full view of the “original model.” Flaws and all.

Of course, unless he suddenly lost all sense of self-preservation, Shinji had zero intention of saying that out loud.

When Touko finally stopped working and leaned back to wipe the sweat from her brow, Shinji decided it was time.

“Senpai, working hard as usual, huh?”

Touko turned at the sound of his voice, instantly breaking into a grin when she saw who it was.

“Well well, if it isn’t my dear kouhai.”

“Yup, it’s me.”

Without waiting for an invitation, Shinji grabbed a chair and sat down right across from her, like he owned the place.

Touko slipped her work coat back on with a casual grace, then lit a cigarette with her usual elegance.

“Well, well. The big celebrity finally found time to visit little ol’ me.”

Her tone was hard to read—neither sharp nor entirely teasing—but it carried just the faintest trace of… petulance? Like a cat sulking because its owner forgot to feed it.

Of course, she wasn’t actually mad at him. If she were, she wouldn’t be smiling.

Still, there was a subtle air of grievance in her words.

She had been lured into this unfamiliar town by Shinji with promises of “standing against the old man together,” only to be abandoned while he ran around playing movie mogul.

If it weren’t for the generous paycheck she received every month—and the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to chat about magecraft with genuine Heroic Spirits—Touko would’ve packed up and left long ago.

Especially since she hadn’t seen Shinji at all in over a month. Even she couldn’t help but feel a little neglected.

But now that he’d shown up again, Touko felt… not exactly happy, but reassured. At least the cheeky little underclassman hadn’t forgotten her existence entirely.

Shinji, of course, picked up on all of this.

Touko Aozaki—cold, aloof, and always carrying herself like a weaponized doll—was acting just a little tsundere. He almost laughed.

Still, they weren’t that close. He couldn’t tease her the way he did Rin.

So instead, he offered her his most gentlemanly smile.

“Seems like you’re settling into Fuyuki nicely, Senpai. I’ve been so swamped lately, I’m sorry I haven’t been around to look after you.”

“Hmph. As long as you know you’ve been neglecting me.”

Touko let out a soft snort and closed one eye lazily. “Well, as long as the money keeps coming in, I won’t complain. This place does have perks I can’t find anywhere else.”

“I’m glad you like it here.”

She ignored the flattery and raised a brow instead.

“So, what’s the occasion? Cu and the others said you’ve been running around like a madman lately. What brings you here all of a sudden?”

Shinji gave her a relaxed shrug.

“I missed you, so I figured I’d take you out for dinner.”

Touko narrowed her eyes.

“Wow. That almost sounded sincere. You're not planning to get me drunk and do anything... unseemly, are you?”

“I would never.”

Shinji instantly waved his hands in denial, as if the idea physically repulsed him.

He had more than enough trauma from that kind of situation already. No thank you.

“I just thought it might be good for a senpai and kouhai to strengthen their bond a little.”

Touko gave him a long, skeptical look.

“Senpai, what kind of degenerate do you think I am?” Shinji laughed, still trying to defuse her stare.

“Coming from the guy who flirted with half the girls at the Clock Tower? Yeah, you don’t exactly get to play the innocent.”

Touko’s expression darkened slightly, clearly not buying it.

Shinji threw up his hands and even offered a mock-French salute in surrender.

“Alright, alright! Think of it as a bribe if you want!”

“A bribe?”

“Yup. I was hoping you’d come with me on a little trip. Back to the Clock Tower.”

He smiled again, this time revealing his real reason for the visit.

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Meanwhile, at the Clock Tower’s Department of Modern Magecraft—

“Achoo!” ×2

Both Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald and Waver Velvet sneezed at the exact same time in their shared office.

“…Why am I sneezing?”

Rubbing his nose, Kayneth frowned irritably.

Waver, making the same motion, replied with a sigh:

“Right? And I’m getting a weirdly bad feeling, too.”

“…You too?”

“Yeah. Like something’s about to seriously piss me off.”

“……”

“……”

“Damn you, Shinji Matou!!” ×2

The name exploded from both teacher and student in perfect unison.

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