Shinji: A Man Needs His Pride, and a Buddha His Incense

Of course, what excites the audience isn't the plot twist, but rather their XP system.

However, in this Nasuverse, viewers haven't even seen "I am your father" before they directly see "I am your future self".

It's like asking a complete newbie who's never even read a pure romance doujinshi to read a hardcore doujinshi—how could they possibly resist?!

"Archer is actually the future Shirou Emiya?!"

"Modern humans can actually become Heroic Spirit?!"

Why was this plot designed this way?

"You're cheating! How could anyone possibly guess such a plot!"

After the airing of episode 8, it stirred up a storm in various Fate discussions. While exclaiming that the plot was unbelievable, every fan, just as Shinji had predicted, frantically traced back to the details of the previous episodes.

Then, these fans discovered that Shinji Matou had indeed included countless hints in the drama.

Although each detail is not obvious, they are enough to deduce that Archer is indeed Shirou Emiya.

I was so stupid, really.

The author of the first post on 2ch proving Archer's real name kept rambling on in his article.

[The clues were right in front of me, yet I completely ignored them. I consider myself a die-hard fan of Shinji Matou, someone who knows his work like the back of my hand.]

[As a result, Shinji Matou clearly showed me the answer, and I was completely unaware!]

[Shinji Matou! You little bastard! I'll go to your grandpa's house!!!]

The astonishment and complaints of ordinary viewers were merely an appetizer; the Mage world was truly devastated by this bombshell.

Actually, while the online discussions about UBW were so intense, Shinji's core fans weren't that excited this time, and rarely even participated in the discussions.

That's because every single one of these core fans is Magecraft.

At this point, they no longer had the energy to discuss things online. The very issue of whether modern Magecraft could use Reality Marble was already causing a huge uproar in the Mage world.

About ten years ago, Lufraeus Uliphis, one of the Three Giants of the Clock Tower, wrote a paper on the subject.

In that paper, Lord Uliphis stated that due to the continuous decline of the mystical, people could no longer summon spirits as easily as before.

The spirits mentioned in the text do not only refer to Heroic Spirit, but also include ghosts, elves, and other spirits of all things.

This idea became utter nonsense long after Shinji summoned the Heroic Spirit.

At the time, the summoning of Heroic Spirit did not cause much of a stir. After all, there are very few places in the world like Fuyuki City, which had adjusted its Ley Lines before the mysterious decline and had been accumulating magical power.

Therefore, traditional Magecraft simply explained it as Lord Uliphis not taking it into account, and that it was not a big deal, just a matter of insufficient consideration.

However, this article also raises another point: that in the Age of Mystic Decline, humanity, no longer favored by the world, is no longer able to Reality Marble.

This conclusion has now been contradicted by Shinji Matou as well.

It was one thing for Iskandar to create Reality Marble before, considering he was one of the most famous kings in history.

But what exactly is the ability of this Shirou Emiya to release Reality Marble?!

No one knew about Lady Alaya's Emiya Family Collection plan, and everyone was astonished that a first-generation Magecraft could use Reality Marble.

The first to erupt in anger were the Aristocratic Faction of the Clock Tower. None of them believed that Shirou Emiya releasing his Reality Marble was necessary for the plot; they all thought it was Shinji Matou slapping the face of the Lord, Uliphis.

Because the Lord Uliphis put forward this view only to illustrate the urgency of the world's mysterious decline.

The article concludes by arguing that the Mage world is currently in a precarious state.

In order to ensure the continuation of Magecraft, we need to focus our efforts on respecting the past. Only by diligently studying ancient Magecraft can we restore the glory of Magecraft.

In Shinji's eyes, all of the above is utter nonsense.

What kind of Magecraft possess information on ancient Magecraft?

Of course, it refers to noble families of Magecraft who have studied Magecraft for generations.

Uliphis's article is essentially telling everyone that the true lineage of Magecraft lies with the nobility, and that all you first- and second-generation Magecraft should just get lost.

To put it bluntly, Uliphis, that old codger, wrote this article to provide a legal basis for the Aristocratic Faction to seize power; his intentions are despicable.

However, the Second Master is not a savior who is going to liberate Magecraft all over the world, nor is he a reformer who wants to change the Mage world. He is just an ordinary person who wants to make a little money with Magecraft.

Shinji has always dismissed the disputes between the Aristocratic Faction and commoner factions in the Mage world as utter nonsense.

All I want to do is make money. If you want to argue, just leave it to me.

Unfortunately, no Magecraft was willing to believe in Second Master's simple and unpretentious wish, and even Second Master's collaborators thought he was up to something.

A group of Mage Families were willing to join Shinji's small group because they saw no hope of advancement in other factions and wanted to try their luck here.

The airing of UBW Episode 8 is seen by all Magecraft as a signal, a signal that Shinji Matou is preparing to overthrow the Aristocratic Faction theory and seize the bridgehead of the Mage world.

Faced with the formidable Shinji Matou, the Aristocratic Faction naturally had to launch a counterattack.

Their first target was Kenseth, who remained at the Clock Tower, hoping he would, out of respect for his noble status, tell them what Shinji Matou was really up to!

As a result, Kenseth simply shrugged and denied everything.

"Have no idea."

"I don't know."

"Uncertain."

Oh no, Kirei Kotomine has added another EX attack.

"I don't know anything, what do you want me to say?"

The Magecraft were furious at Kenseth's blatant ignorance and refusal to answer their questions, but unfortunately, there were no consequences.

El-Melloi controls a Modern Magecraft Department, half of the Department of Mineralogy, and behind him stands a large number of Mage Families, belonging to the top families of the Clock Tower.

To take force against Kenseth without solid evidence is like killing a giant panda in a zoo—he wouldn't be wronged if he were swatted to death.

Unable to obtain any valuable information from Kenseth, the Clock Tower families then mobilized their connections, attempting to make inroads from the Far East.

They also lacked the courage to confront the Matou Family, who were protected by Kenseth (according to the Aristocratic Faction), but they could certainly deal with the obscure Emiya family.

In the eyes of the Aristocratic Faction, the Emiya family was nothing more than a pawn discarded by Shinji Matou and Kenseth, whom they could easily crush.

Then they discovered that neither of the Emiya family members were in Fuyuki City; instead, a group of Magecraft Heroic Spirit, led by Artoria and Gilgamesh, were waiting for the mages to arrive.

After the friendly, cheerful, and amicable interactions with these Heroic Spirit, no more Magecraft dared to cause trouble at Emiya Residence.

"I'm so angry!"

After knocking down yet another foolish Magecraft, Artoria angrily plunged her knight's sword into his thigh.

"Master is really something."

Ignoring the groans of the unfortunate man on the ground, Artoria complained angrily, "We're cleaning up his mess here, and he's taking his friends to Tokyo for a fancy meal! It's outrageous!"

Chapter 115 Shinji: A man fights for his pride, a Buddha accepts a stick of incense.

A black sedan drives through the bustling streets of Tokyo at night.

"Oh dear, it's such a shame that Kiritsugu and Mrs. Irisviel went back to their family home in Germany."

Shinji his legs crossed, said with a grin.

"I really want to show Kiritsugu the mournful faces of those Magecraft who were beaten to a pulp by the Heroic Spirit."

Hearing Shirou's words, Shinji's face darkened. "If Dad stayed, he'd probably do it himself, right?"

Shinji raised an eyebrow. "Wouldn't that be better?"

This best friend of mine always loves a good show.

Shirou pinched the bridge of his nose, his face full of helplessness.

If Kiritsugu really stayed in Fuyuki City, then it would definitely not be Heroic Spirit who took action, but Kiritsugu himself.

Of course, given that people will be living in the Emiya Residence in the future, it's unlikely that the old man would use explosives or anything like that; at most, he'd use a pistol, a submachine gun, or a sniper rifle.

"If that were the case, Grandpa Raiga (Taiga's grandfather) would probably go berserk, right? After all, he'd have to deal with so many corpses."

Who knows?

Shinji snorted through his nose, his face full of mockery.

However, Shinji quickly adopted a respectful expression and said to the third passenger in the car, "Grandpa Kurosawa, I'm entrusting to you what you need to do tonight."

Upon hearing Shinji's words, the old man managed a smile on his wrinkled face.

"Haha, compared to the help you've given me, Matou-kun, these things are really insignificant. Since Matou-kun has asked, it's only right that I step in."

The old man's name is Kurosawa Hisao, the eldest son of the famous Japan film master Kurosawa Akira.

As for why Shinji invited the other party to tonight's dinner, it was simply to ask them to support him.

Tonight's dinner is ostensibly a celebration for TBS Television's successful UBW ratings, but for Shinji, it's more than just a celebration; it's also the first negotiation with Johnny & Associates & Associates.

Yes, after a long wait, Shinji is finally ready to take advantage of the opportunity presented by TBS to contact Johnny & Associates.

Actually, this matter shouldn't have been this complicated.

Johnny & Associates's was thinking that Shinji would soon come to them for help, so they were waiting for Shinji to come to them.

Shinji felt that Johnny & Associates's was troublesome, so he decided to postpone negotiations with Hiroshi Nagano until the end.

As a result, neither Shinji member of Johnny & Associates's Entertainment, nor Shinji, came. They waited and waited, growing impatient.

The Kitagawa siblings have stated more than once that they feel Shinji Matou is too arrogant.

After hearing about this, Shinji had even less intention of going to Johnny & Associates's to negotiate.

In Second Master's view, he would definitely be ripped off if he went back now, so he simply decided to put Johnny & Associates's in a passive, hands-off approach.

As a result, the negotiations between Shinji and Johnny & Associates's were deadlocked before they even began, with both sides waiting for the other to back down and offer them their own benefits.

In the end, it was TBS Television that heard about this, and took the opportunity of the UBW celebration party to invite both groups over.

There's no way around it; TBS is caught in the middle, so it's tough for them too.

Shinji Matou was instrumental in helping TBS Television achieve its ratings miracle, while male idols under Johnny & Associates are the guarantee of high ratings for most TBS dramas.

Shinji and Johnny & Associates's also knew that continuing to be stubborn would only result in a lose-lose situation. Since TBS Television had given them a way out, they decided not to be coy anymore.

However, there's a very, very embarrassing aspect to today's banquet for Shinji.

He was a junior, and a junior who was more than one generation younger.

Actually, Shinji's seniority among the younger generation is not low. He and Kazuo Tsuburaya are of the same generation, and many people older than Shinji are not necessarily of a higher generation than him.

The problem is that Johnny Kitagawa and his sister Fujishima Taiko, are both in their seventies or eighties, and are of the same generation as his grandfather Matou Zouken.

Shinji used to really only have the role of playing the subservient grandson.

This is obviously a joke. Given Japan social norms, Shinji could have easily refused to bow.

Japan society places more emphasis on social relationships than blood ties. If both parties are company representatives, there is no question of backing down even if the other party is one's own grandfather.

Shinji and Johnny Kitagawa were both company owners, so there was no question of one being inferior to the other during negotiations.

Therefore, even if Shinji simply nodded to Johnny Kitagawa, no one else could say anything about it.

But Shinji is far too young, not even 20 yet. If he were to bow as an equal, rumors about the Matou Family's tutor would probably start circulating in the community tomorrow.

In Shinji's view, this is what makes Johnny & Associates's Entertainment so annoying.

Johnny Kitagawa surely knew that even if Shinji bowed down to him during their meeting, he wouldn't make any concessions during negotiations.

The two sides should negotiate in a manner that is appropriate for them.

However, it's acceptable to annoy the other party at the beginning of negotiations, gain some verbal advantage, and vent your pent-up frustration.

Shinji was even certain that the Kitagawa siblings would be standing at the banquet entrance waiting for him to come and pay his respects.

But who is Shinji Matou? His favorite thing to do is to say no to those self-righteous people.

Moreover, why has Shinji delayed meeting with Johnny & Associates's for so long?

Isn't it just that they don't want Type-Moon to be inferior to them?

Even if it's just a formality, the Second Master would still feel uncomfortable inside.

But while Johnny & Associates's has its brilliant strategies, my Second Master also has his own tricks.