Hero of Justice

Facing Shinji Matou's complaints, Yu Feng replied without hesitation, "Who told you to spend all your time doing things worse than beasts before?"

Shinji Matou snorted. "But I'm not doing that anymore, am I? Why are you still hung up on it? You people are all the same."

Yu Feng spread his hands. "Can't help it. My impression of you is still stuck on who you were back then."

Shinji Matou had been about to retort when he suddenly spotted someone. Leaving behind a hurried, "Don't leave after school. Come to the rooftop—I have something to tell you," he quickly left.

Shinji Matou was the Matou family's only heir—oh, no, there was also Sakura, whom a certain King of Backstabbing had adopted into the Matou family. That made two heirs, which was still a little better than the Tohsaka family.

Although Shinji Matou was the Matou family's legitimate son, he was unexpectedly mediocre at Magecraft and possessed no talent for it.

That was also why Shinji Matou had become the way he was in the original story. Born into a magecraft family yet lacking the so-called Magic Circuits, he had developed an inferiority complex and a twisted personality, becoming the person he had been in the original story.

But in this world, before Shinji Matou's personality could become twisted, Yu Feng had successfully snuffed it out. The reason was quite simple.

Yu Feng truly could not stand Shinji Matou's usual arrogant, overbearing behavior, so he found an opportunity to beat him senseless in private. Then he fed Shinji Matou round after round of inspirational soul soup. If his personality had not returned to normal after that, it would have been an insult to the power of all that soul soup.

Yu Feng turned around and saw Rin Tohsaka walking toward them. No wonder Shinji Matou had left before he could finish speaking.

When facing Rin Tohsaka, Shinji Matou really did not have the courage to go up against her.

Rin Tohsaka looked at Shinji Matou's retreating back. "What did that guy want with you?"

"Don't you have any self-awareness? You nearly beat him into disfigurement. Haven't you noticed that he avoids you whenever he sees you now?" Yu Feng said speechlessly.

Rin Tohsaka's face reddened, and she said awkwardly, "There might have been a little personal grudge mixed in. Mainly, I just found him pretty unpleasant to look at every day."

Yu Feng complained, "So you really just aimed for his face? You hit him that hard—what exactly did he do for you to go so heavy on him?"

Rin Tohsaka chuckled awkwardly. "I didn't expect that a few light punches would leave him like that. I was already trying very hard to hold back my strength!"

By the end, Yu Feng could actually hear a trace of righteous indignation in Rin Tohsaka's voice.

"Yeah, yeah. So, what did you come to see me for?" Yu Feng asked only after giving her a few halfhearted responses.

Though somewhat dissatisfied with Yu Feng's perfunctory attitude, Rin Tohsaka still said haughtily, "Didn't you want to know whether you have talent for Magecraft? I happen to be free tonight, so we can test it then."

Yu Feng opened his lunchbox. He had originally planned to eat on the rooftop, but people kept coming to find him at this time, one after another, so he could not be bothered to go up there.

"So? Couldn't you have told me after school? You came all the way here just to say that?"

Rin Tohsaka was left speechless. In the end, she could only mutter a curse at Yu Feng before storming off in a huff.

Rin Tohsaka stormed away, while Yu Feng merely glanced calmly at her back and paid it no mind.

Just then, a figure walked up beside Yu Feng.

Shirou Emiya looked at Rin Tohsaka's retreating back, then looked at Yu Feng in confusion.

"Feng, did you make Tohsaka mad and chase her away?"

Yu Feng said indifferently, "She wouldn't truly get angry over something so minor. She's annoyed because I'm a blockhead. Emiya, if you want to become a Hero of Justice, then naturally you need to understand women's hearts."

"But if you ask me, the phrase 'Hero of Justice' puts too much pressure on you. You should set your goal a little lower, or simply do everything you can to be a Hero of Justice.

This world was unfair to begin with. There were countless places that needed a Hero of Justice. If you truly were one, then it would be impossible for you to save everyone.

Here's a piece of advice: for every thousand people, there are a thousand Heroes of Justice. Everyone has a different definition of what a Hero of Justice is."

After thinking for a moment, Yu Feng said, "How about this? I'll give you a question.

Suppose five people are tied to one railway track, while one person is tied to the alternate track. A runaway tram is speeding toward them, and there just happens to be a lever beside you. You can pull the lever and divert the tram onto the alternate track, killing that one person and saving the five. Or you can do nothing, allowing the five to die and saving the one.

The tram is about to enter that section, and you must make a decision in a very short time: kill one and save five, or kill five and save one.

So, Shirou Emiya, what would you choose?

What is it?"

Shirou Emiya fell silent. He seemed not to have expected Yu Feng to pose such a question. Yu Feng was certain that if Shirou Emiya had to choose, he would definitely hesitate. But Kiritsugu Emiya was different. He would certainly save the side with more people, because that was Kiritsugu Emiya's justice.

Shirou Emiya had inherited Kiritsugu Emiya's justice, but it could also be said that what he inherited was not Kiritsugu Emiya's justice.

If Kiritsugu Emiya had to choose, he would sacrifice the side with fewer people without hesitation in exchange for the survival of the majority.

Shirou Emiya's justice differed from Kiritsugu Emiya's. Compared with Shirou Emiya's justice, Kiritsugu Emiya's was somewhat extreme—but that was Kiritsugu Emiya, a man filled with tragedy.

Shirou Emiya, however, was different. Kiritsugu Emiya's life had been filled with hardships, but what about Shirou Emiya? Other than the Fuyuki Fire, what had he experienced that could compare with Kiritsugu Emiya's experiences?

Yu Feng was certain that if Kiritsugu Emiya and Shirou Emiya had traded identities, Shirou Emiya would absolutely have changed. Yet based on Yu Feng's understanding of Shirou Emiya's personality, it was not impossible that he would have become just like Kiritsugu Emiya.

Seeing that Shirou Emiya still would not make a choice, Yu Feng continued on his own. "If it were me, I wouldn't choose to save those five people, because they aren't people I know. What does their life or death have to do with me? Besides, if you pull that lever, then in an indirect sense, you have killed that person. But if you choose not to, then this choice has no right to bind you."

Seeing Shirou Emiya still silent, Yu Feng asked again:

"So, what is your choice?

Shirou Emiya."