Late at night, at the Type-Moon office, in the employee lounge.
"Master, isn't it midnight yet?"
Sitting awkwardly on the sofa, Arturia asked.
Without even looking up from his book, Shinji replied, "No."
"You didn't even check the time. How do you know it's not?"
Arturia pouted, clearly unhappy with Shinji's dismissive response.
"Because it hasn't even been 30 seconds since you last asked. When I looked earlier, it was 11:56." Shinji answered, slightly irritated. "Also, this is the 46th time you've asked. There's less than five minutes left. Just hold on a bit longer."
Arturia puffed up her cheeks. "But it's still five minutes! I can't wait any longer! Master, can we just start a few minutes early, please?"
Hearing Arturia's almost pleading tone, Shinji helplessly shook his head.
Of course, the reason Miss King of Knight was so eager for Shinji to start playing the disc wasn't because she wanted to watch the latest episode of Heaven's Feel. No, it was because the moment the show started, she could eat the snacks on the coffee table.
Ryougi Shiki, being officially recognized by Nasu as Type-Moon's top chef, had made the snacks both aesthetically pleasing and delicious.
As for how good they were, it could be inferred from Arturia's constant fidgeting, her heavy breathing, her glazed eyes, and her flushed face.
Miss King of Knight was displaying withdrawal symptoms, all thanks to Shiki's snacks.
Earlier, when Shiki brought out the snacks, everyone got to sample two pieces. After tasting them, Shinji decided that the rest should be saved for the screening.
Naturally, the small bite Arturia got was far from enough. Now, all she could think about was taking another bite.
If she could just go for the snacks, Arturia wouldn't be sitting here obediently. Unfortunately, EMIYA and Rider were seated on either side of her like two formidable guards. Any attempt she made to reach for the food was swiftly stopped by them.
This left Arturia with no choice but to repeatedly ask about the time.
"Master, is it time yet?"
Hearing her ask for the 47th time, Shinji replied wearily, "Just a bit longer, three more minutes."
Arturia, who was always serious about everything else, completely let her guard down when it came to food. She perfectly embodied the innocence of a 16-year-old girl.
That Merlin guy... could he have done this on purpose? Shinji wondered suspiciously.
Knowing the old magus's mischievous tendencies, Shinji had a strong feeling he might be right.
'Next time I have the chance to summon that white-haired guy, I'll make sure to shave him bald.'
To satisfy his own sense of humor, Merlin had apparently turned Arturia into this foodie, causing Shinji no end of trouble. He felt it was only fair to teach the guy a lesson.
"Shinji-kun,"
Ryougi Shiki couldn't stand it any longer. She softly suggested, "Why don't we just start a little early? It's not a big deal. No need to stick so strictly to the time."
Shinji hesitated for a few seconds before shaking his head slightly. "We can't. Grandpa specifically said to wait until midnight to play it."
"Grandpa Zouken?" Shiki was puzzled. "Why? Is this some kind of magecraft ritual?"
"I doubt it."
Although Shinji verbally dismissed it, Shiki's suggestion planted a seed of doubt in his mind.
'Could the old man really be up to something? Otherwise, why insist on playing the disc at midnight?'
While Shinji was lost in thought, Arturia's loud voice interrupted him.
"Master! It's midnight!"
"Oh, got it."
Shinji glanced up and confirmed the time. Seeing that it really was midnight, he unwrapped the DVD and placed the disc into the player.
As Shinji crouched down to operate the machine, Arturia eagerly lifted the lid off the snacks.
"It's just opening the lid~ Archer, don't get so worked up," Arturia quickly explained when she noticed EMIYA's gaze.
"Hmph."
EMIYA snorted but said nothing. He didn't stop Arturia either.
"Indeed, getting everything ready in advance isn't a bad idea."
Medusa spoke gently, but her eyes never left the snack box.
"Fufu~ Ryougi-san is truly amazing. This is the first time I've had such delicious snacks," Sakura said, leaning forward, ready to make her move at any moment.
"These snacks are indeed delicious. They're the best thing I've eaten since being summoned," Enkidu nodded, then turned and said, "Gil, bring out the wine. Great food pairs best with good drinks."
Shinji remained oblivious to the fact that the group behind him was gearing up to launch an all-out raid.
After leisurely pressing the play button, he turned curiously to Ryougi Shiki and said, "Ryougi-san, your cooking is really—"
Before he could finish, the instant the TV emitted sound, chaos erupted in the lounge.
"Snacks! Snacks!"
"King of Knight! You can't just lift the whole box. That's against the rules!"
"Rider, I want the matcha cake!"
"Ah, this strawberry mochi is nice. What?! Medusa, you used your Mystic Eyes of Petrification?!"
"Sakura, here's your cake."
"Rice crackers, tri-colored dango... Hey, Gil, stop fighting over the same snacks with me. Grab the other box, and we'll split it!"
"Damn! I'm choking. Where's the drink? Where's the drink?!"
Shinji stared blankly as the group frantically fought over the food.
Even Ryougi Shiki, who had been calmly sipping tea, put down her cup and looked at the chaos in disbelief.
She had made a generous amount of snacks as a meeting gift, thinking it would be enough for everyone.
Was it really necessary to fight over it like this?
Soon, Shiki realized that it was, in fact, necessary.
Arturia was far too intense. With this human vacuum in the room, if others didn't grab their share, she might actually finish everything on her own.
Once one person started grabbing, the others, unwilling to lose out, joined in. The result was utter pandemonium.
Seeing the snacks disappear at an alarming rate, Shinji, unable to break into the "battlefield," grew desperate.
"You greedy fools! Leave some for me!" Shinji shouted, slapping Arturia on the head.
However, Arturia, entirely absorbed in devouring the snacks, didn't even hear her Master's words. Both her mouth and mind were completely preoccupied. She didn't even know what was playing on the TV.
<+>
Meanwhile, at the Magus's Club
Compared to the chaotic lounge at the Type-Moon office, the Magus's Club was far more orderly.
After disposing of a "red-haired traitor" trying to sneak into the early viewing party, Alice and her group focused intently on watching the third episode of Heaven's Feel.
Although their table was also laden with food, these ordinary snacks paled in comparison to the captivating show on the screen.
Shinji's adaptation of Heaven's Feel was based on the previous generation's movie versions but featured many differences.
For example, in the movie adaptation, scenes that originally occurred in the first route, where Shirou gained Illya's favor, were moved to the second movie to make Shirou's eventual rescue of Illya more plausible.
The studio made this adjustment because there was a one-year gap between the two movie releases. Keeping Illya's original scenes in the first movie might confuse viewers who had forgotten the plot or who only watched the second film.
But Shinji felt the studio's concerns were unnecessary.
'Who are they kidding? At this point, are there even any casual fans left watching Fate/Stay Night?'
For hardcore fans, this kind of adjustment didn't make much sense. Shinji's series adhered more closely to the original game's plot. Since the episodes aired just a month apart, he didn't have to worry about fans forgetting the story.
The episode opened right where the previous one left off—the battle at Ryuudou Temple. After losing Saber, Shirou returned to the Emiya household, greeted by the gentle and caring purple-haired Sakura.
"Shinji Matou sure dotes on his little sister," Fujita remarked. "He's constantly giving her screen time. Why couldn't I have such a great brother? Then I'd be a star by now!"
"I don't think that's the case," Alice frowned. "Shinji doesn't even spare himself—he constantly paints himself in a negative light in his works. A director like that wouldn't manipulate scenes just to give his sister more exposure."
"Maybe he's just a siscon?" Fujita countered.
"Regardless, I'm so jealous of Shirou," Shibamatsu said, envious. "In every version, he ends up with great women. If I had a girlfriend like Sakura, I'd be head over heels, too!"
"Something seems off with Sakura," Aoko mused. "She's been portrayed too perfectly so far. It feels like a setup for tragedy later on. Think about it—Kiritsugu's family also started out picture-perfect in Fate/Zero..."
Her suspicion was spot on.
As Sakura's characterization deepened, cracks began to appear in her previously idealized image. The tone of Heaven's Feel darkened both visually and narratively, revealing the darker side of the Matou family.
The turning point came when Shirou discovered an old photo of Rin wearing a familiar hair ribbon, prompting him to question Sakura's true identity. Shortly after returning home, Shirou received a challenge call from Shinji.
Fueled by jealousy and resentment toward Shirou, Shinji had taken Sakura hostage and once again demanded a duel at school.
"Seriously? Another school fight with Shirou?" Fujita exclaimed. "This is the third time! Does Shinji have some weird fetish for school uniforms? Or does he just love seeing people fight in them?"
"Maybe he was a bad student back in the day and always dreamed of destroying his school. That's why he keeps setting these battles in schools—to live out his fantasy of tearing them down," Shibamatsu speculated maliciously.
Shinji's obsession with school-based confrontations left them no choice but to wonder.
<+>
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