Hero of Justice

Faced with Shinji Matou's complaints, Yu Feng replied without hesitation: "Who told you to do nothing but beastly things before?"

Shinji Matou snorted at that. "I'm not doing it anymore now, am I? Why are you still hung up on this? Both of you are the same."

Yu Feng spread his hands. "Can't help it. My impression of you is stuck on that version of you from back then."

Shinji Matou was about to retort when he suddenly spotted someone. He hurriedly left a quick "Don't leave after school—come to the rooftop, I have something to tell you" and swiftly departed.

Shinji Matou, the sole heir of the Matou family—oh no, there was also Sakura, adopted into the Matou family by that certain "pot king," making them the only two heirs. Still, that was better off than the Tohsaka family.

Although Shinji Matou was the legitimate son of the Matou family, surprisingly enough, he was utterly mediocre in Magecraft, possessing no talent for it at all.

That was the reason Shinji Matou turned out the way he did in the original story—born into a Magecraft family yet lacking so-called Magic Circuits, which twisted his personality with inferiority complex, shaping him into the character from the original.

But in this world, before Shinji Matou's personality could warp, Yu Feng had already nipped it in the bud. The reason was quite simple.

Yu Feng simply couldn't stand Shinji Matou's usual arrogant and domineering behavior, so he found a time in private to beat Shinji Matou up thoroughly, then force-fed him a hearty dose of chicken soup for the soul. It would've been a disservice to that motivational talk if his personality hadn't snapped back to normal.

Yu Feng turned to look—it was Rin Tohsaka walking this way. No wonder Shinji Matou had fled mid-sentence.

Facing Rin Tohsaka, Shinji Matou really didn't have the guts to go up against her.

Rin Tohsaka watched Shinji Matou's retreating back. "What did that guy come to you for?"

"Don't you have any self-awareness about that? You nearly beat his face beyond recognition—can't you see he's avoiding you now?" Yu Feng said, exasperated.

Rin Tohsaka's face flushed at that. She fidgeted and said, "I guess there was a bit of personal grudge mixed in. Mostly I just can't stand him on a daily basis."

Yu Feng quipped, "So you really went straight for his face, huh? Hitting him that hard—what did he even do to deserve such a heavy hand?"

Rin Tohsaka let out a sheepish laugh. "I didn't think just a few light punches would mess him up that badly. I've been trying really hard to hold back my strength!"

By the end, Yu Feng could even detect a hint of self-righteousness in her tone.

"Fine, fine. So? What did you come to me for?" Yu Feng asked weakly after brushing her off.

Though a bit miffed at his dismissiveness, Rin Tohsaka still said with a tsundere air, "Didn't you want to know if you have talent in Magecraft? I happen to be free tonight, so we'll test it then."

Yu Feng opened his lunchbox. He'd originally planned to eat on the rooftop, but since everyone was showing up at this time, he couldn't be bothered to go up.

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

Rin Tohsaka was at a loss for words. Finally, she could only grumble a curse at Yu Feng before storming off in a huff.

Rin Tohsaka left in a huff, while Yu Feng calmly glanced at her retreating figure and paid it no mind.

Just then, a figure walked up beside Yu Feng.

Shirou Emiya looked at Rin Tohsaka's back, then at Yu Feng with some confusion.

"Feng, did Rin get driven off by you?"

Yu Feng said nonchalantly, "She's not actually mad over something so trivial. She's annoyed that I'm being dense. Shirou, if you're going to be a Hero of Justice, you naturally have to understand women's psychology."

"But if you ask me, the term 'Hero of Justice' is too heavy a burden for you. You'd better set a smaller goal, or just do your best to be a Hero of Justice within your limits.

This world is inherently unfair. There are plenty of places that need a Hero of Justice. If you truly were one, you couldn't possibly save everyone.

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

Yu Feng thought for a moment, then said, "How about this—I'll give you a problem.

Suppose on a train track, five people are tied up, and on the spare track, one person is tied up. A runaway tram is speeding toward them. You're standing next to a lever. You can pull it to divert the tram onto the spare track, killing that one person and saving the five. Or you can do nothing, letting the five die and saving the one.

The tram is about to enter that area. You have to make a decision in a very short time: kill one to save five, or kill five to save one.

So, Shirou Emiya, what's your choice?

What is it?"

Shirou Emiya fell silent, seemingly caught off guard by the question. Yu Feng was sure that if Shirou Emiya had to choose, he'd hesitate—but Kiritsugu Emiya would be different. He'd definitely save the larger number, because that was Kiritsugu Emiya's justice.

Shirou Emiya inherited Kiritsugu Emiya's justice, but it could also be said that he didn't inherit it at all.

If Kiritsugu Emiya had to choose, he'd unhesitatingly sacrifice the smaller number to save the majority.

Shirou Emiya's justice was different from Kiritsugu Emiya's. Compared to Shirou Emiya's, Kiritsugu Emiya's justice was somewhat extreme, but that was Kiritsugu Emiya—a man full of tragedy.

Shirou Emiya, on the other hand, was different. Kiritsugu Emiya's life was riddled with hardships, but what about Shirou Emiya? Aside from that Fuyuki Fire, what experiences did he have that could compare to Kiritsugu Emiya's?

Yu Feng was certain that if their roles were swapped, Shirou Emiya would definitely change. But based on Yu Feng's understanding of Shirou Emiya's personality, it wasn't impossible for him to become just like Kiritsugu Emiya.

Seeing Shirou Emiya still not making a choice, Yu Feng spoke up on his own: "If it were me, I wouldn't choose to save those five. They're not my acquaintances—why should their lives matter to me? Besides, if you pull that lever, you've indirectly killed that person. But if you don't choose, then this choice has no power to bind you."

Yu Feng saw Shirou Emiya still in silence and asked again:

"So, what's your choice?

Shirou Emiya."