From a character standpoint, it's easy to understand why Shinji Matou chooses school. After all, anyone willingly staying in the worm-filled Matou mansion would have to be an idiot.
On the other hand, for Shinji, who gets little attention at home but thrives socially at school, the campus might feel like a much safer place. At home, he can only mess with his sister, who's outwardly reserved but secretly fixated on her crush.
But at school? Shinji Matou is surrounded by admirers. Armed with his wealthy heir persona, he acts recklessly, living up to the title of "the ultimate scumbag."
Flight attendants, models, campus queens, schoolgirls— he'd pursue anyone he fancied.
Well, maybe not the last one. After all, the school beauty at Homurahara Academy is none other than Rin Tohsaka.
That aside, the Shinji of this world has somehow managed to tick off all the other boxes. Flight attendants, models, and campus queens—all conquered. Even though the "campus queen" wasn't Rin, Cloris had once been the belle of her college.
But, scumbag or not, Shinji Matou—no matter the version—has two constants: an obsession with schoolyard fights and an addiction to calling for backup when outmatched.
When you think about it, his fighting tactics are no different from a street punk's. First, he'd bite off more than he could chew by picking fights, always confident he could win.
Unfortunately, the FSN version of Shinji isn't even a second-rate magus. Even Shirou Emiya, a complete amateur, can best him in magecraft.
As for hand-to-hand combat? This spoiled rich kid doesn't stand a chance against Shirou, who regularly trains with a wooden sword for his nightly heroics.
"A classic re-enactment of the movie fight scene—except now with an added Sakura cameo."
Watching Shinji get floored by Shirou's "friendly punch of justice," Cloris, a rare guest at Type-Moon's appreciation event, offered her commentary.
"I can already guess what Onii-sama will do next," Sakura added with a squint, joining Cloris in her bored critique. "He'll shout something like, 'Rider, get him!'"
"Rider, get him!"
Sure enough, after realizing he couldn't win against Shirou, Shinji quickly commanded Rider to take him down, intent on eliminating Shirou altogether.
Sakura shot a glance at Shinji, who sat beside her sulking as he munched on potato chips—he'd lost out during the earlier snack-grab frenzy.
"Huh? What did you say?"
With a chip hanging from his mouth, Shinji looked up, confused.
Sakura sighed, exasperated. "As expected, no matter the version of Onii-sama, he never learns his lesson. Always repeating the same mistakes."
That struck a nerve with Shinji. He protested, "Sakura, when have I ever repeated the same mistakes?"
"Bullying others, raging over your incompetence, and being a scumbag."
Sakura smiled sweetly at the end, though her tone stung. "No matter what, you'll always be my Onii-sama."
"Hey, I'm not a scumbag! I'm nothing like the version of me in the story!" Shinji glanced nervously at Cloris and Ryougi Shiki behind him, muttering, "...Probably."
Cloris sat with her arms crossed, pouting as if silently fuming.
Ryougi Shiki, on the other hand, maintained her amused smile, seeming genuinely interested in how the HF story was unfolding.
'What are these two thinking?'
Shinji wondered but didn't dare ask.
He knew better.
Staying neutral and avoiding any conflict was his best strategy right now.
Asking questions would only provoke both sides and make him their common target.
Sometimes, women just don't play fair.
By staying out of the crossfire, Shinji hoped to avoid being drawn into their squabbles and, perhaps, even benefit from their rivalry.
'Wait... Sakura might be right. Maybe I am a bit of a scumbag.'
Of course, only a little.
Shinji would never see himself as a full-blown scumbag—at worst, he'd admit to being "broad-minded" and appreciating a whole forest instead of focusing on just one tree.
"Tch, Onii-sama…"
Sakura frowned in frustration.
Having grown up with him, she might not be able to predict his every move, but she knew the exact expression he wore when caught ogling someone.
'Patience... I need to hold back.'
The critical Matou confrontation scene in HF was just around the corner, and Sakura wasn't about to lose her cool now.
'I want to see how he edits that scene.'
Playing with the ends of her hair, Sakura smirked faintly, her expression unreadable.
Although Sakura had read the script and even participated in the production, this was her first time watching the final version of the film.
The same script can feel entirely different depending on the director, and even footage from the same director can evoke different emotions depending on the editor.
So, even though she knew the plot by heart, Sakura was curious about how her brother Shinji had edited this scene.
If the editing was good, then all was fine. But if it wasn't…
'Well, I'll just settle both old and new scores together later. After all, the night is still young.'
Sakura snorted softly, considering what "position" to take with Shinji afterward.
The next part of the story played out similarly across the movie version, the game, and Shinji's live-action adaptation. Rider deliberately held back during the fight, allowing Shirou to survive until Rin and Archer arrived. Then, Archer easily defeated Rider, rescuing Sakura from Shinji's clutches.
In a desperate bid to cover his escape, Shinji shattered the magical drug vial in Sakura's earring, triggering the rampage of the Crest Worms in her body.
Sakura's suffering drew Rin and Shirou's attention, allowing Shinji to slip out of the library unnoticed.
In the original plot, the earring contained an aphrodisiac, but Shinji had changed it during filming to a magical stimulant specifically designed to aggravate the Crest Worms.
This adjustment made sense—after all, the Crest Worms' concept had already been altered from parasitic sexual entities to creatures that consumed human flesh and reconstructed magical circuits. Shinji's minor tweak didn't impact the main plot.
And it wasn't like Shinji would ever film that kind of scene involving his own sister—he had no intention of using cheap tricks to pander to male viewers.
Besides, once Type-Moon became more mainstream, Nasu had practically stopped mentioning the "magical energy replenishment through bodily fluids" trope.
As Sakura's Crest Worms rampaged, the torment she endured over the past 11 years became evident to Rin and Shirou. It was also revealed that Sakura was the true Master of the Matou family in this Holy Grail War.
But compared to the emotional impact of her suffering, the revelation about her Master status didn't carry much weight—it felt more like confirmation of something already suspected.
"I knew it. Shinji ordering a Servant with nothing but a book and no Command Seals? It didn't sit right," Fujita remarked with a post hoc certainty that made Shibamatsu roll his eyes.
"What do you mean it didn't sit right? You never questioned how Shinji controlled a Servant in FSN before!"
Meanwhile, Alice was lost in thought. "The Book of the False Attendant… It seems Shinji Matou faithfully adhered to both the story's role and the realistic principles of magecraft. Even with minor plot adjustments, the level of detail remains meticulous."
Her gaze drifted to Aoko, who was tied up nearby.
She wondered how Aoko, as a pillar of the Japanese magecraft community, would evaluate Shinji's work.
"On second thought, never mind."
Alice withdrew her hand, deciding against removing Aoko's gag.
She knew Aoko, in her current mood, would spoil the plot with a barrage of spoilers.
For the sake of her own viewing experience, Alice resolved to wait until the entire show was over before untying her.
"Mm-mm! Mmm-mm! (Alice, don't leave me like this! I promise I won't spoil anything!)"
Unfortunately, Alice wasn't skilled in telepathy—or perhaps she chose to ignore it if she was. Either way, Aoko's chance for "free speech" before the series ended was slim to none.
Back on screen, HF continued.
The rampaging magical energy within Sakura forced Shirou and Rin to take her to the church for treatment. During this time, Shirou learned of Sakura's terrible circumstances from Kirei Kotomine, sparking an argument with Rin about whether or not Sakura should be killed.
Overhearing everything from the back room, Sakura broke a window and fled into the rainy night.
Shirou searched through the storm for a long time before finally finding Sakura trembling under a streetlamp.
Faced with the pitiful and helpless Sakura, Shirou embraced her and vowed to be her ally of justice, just for her.
"This is a promise. I'll be a hero of justice only for you, Sakura."
Though it was just a hug, Shirou's declaration of loyalty was unshakable, stronger than any vow.
As if reflecting Sakura's feelings at that moment, the rain that had poured all night suddenly stopped.
"Senpai…"
Feeling Shirou's warmth, Sakura closed her eyes, content and at peace.
"Kind of jealous of Shirou here," Shinji muttered quietly.
"Huh? What's up?"
Shirou, confused by the random comment, gave him a puzzled look.
Shinji sighed. "I wish I had a kouhai who'd call me 'Senpai' so sweetly…"
Back when Shinji was abroad and in his wildest days, he wasn't even of legal age himself, so pursuing a younger kouhai would've been a one-way ticket to jail.
"Romeo and Juliet laws" only applied in a handful of U.S. states, after all.
So despite his vast experience, Shinji had never actually tried pursuing a kouhai.
"Shinji, that's actually pretty simple," Shirou teased. "Just grab two cards, write 'sin' on one and 'π' on the other, and find a girl with a soft voice to read them out loud."
"Shirou, you sly fox."
<+>
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