NOVEL NEXT Chapter 138: Chapter 140: Whose Sister is More Terrifying?
Fuyuki City, Matou Residence.
Sitting on the sofa, Sakura rested her chin on one hand, her eyes fixed intently on the TV screen as she watched the first episode of Heaven's Feel.
As the film's director and the CEO of the production company, it was incredibly easy for Shinji to get his hands on the Heaven's Feel DVD.
However, out of respect for her brother's intellectual property, Sakura had waited until the public release day to finally unwrap the DVD.
"Tsk tsk, this is quite a rare style," Sakura commented with a cold sneer as cherry blossoms fluttered across the screen.
Rider adjusted her glasses and nodded in agreement, "I never would have thought that Shinji, of all people, could direct such a pure love story."
"It's a bit boring," Arturia grumbled unhappily. "The Holy Grail War should be a film where us Servants are the main stars. How could they turn it into a romance drama? Are we really going to spend an hour and a half just watching Shirou and you fall in love?"
As a straight-laced person, Arturia longed for such innocent love stories—but only if she were the protagonist.
Watching someone else's romance from the sidelines, especially in this context, wasn't something she had the patience for.
This wasn't a case of wanting what she couldn't have; the Knight King had every reason to believe her Master was subtly mocking her for never experiencing a perfect love.
"Saber, your scenes should come later, right?"
Sakura glanced at the clock and calculated roughly, "I'd say the first fight at the school will start in about ten minutes."
Although this was her first time watching the completed Heaven's Feel film, as the main heroine, Sakura had received the full script.
It wasn't hard to estimate based on the scenes she had filmed.
"Ten minutes..."
Arturia sighed deeply, feeling dejected.
Rider, on the other hand, looked quite pleased. "That means Sakura gets a full 20 minutes of screen time at the beginning. Truly worthy of a main heroine."
"Yes, a main heroine with the least recognition," Sakura sneered, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Should I say I truly am Onii-sama's sister?"
Rider, now visibly flustered, waved her hands in denial. "I don't think that's it! I believe Shinji just didn't want you to become too famous. You know, fame comes with trouble. It's his way of protecting you."
"Oh, is that so? That's why my character was designed to be so tragic? How protective of him indeed~"
Sakura's sarcastic tone made it clear that she was mocking the idea.
Rider raised a finger, trying her best to explain, "Well... um... Shinji's character in the story is even more tragic, right? It's like a form of self-deprecation. Lots of film directors love to cast themselves in roles like that."
'I'm exhausted, I can't keep making this stuff up…'
Rider panted slightly, feeling that this brief conversation was more draining than her 300-round rooftop battle with Arturia.
"I won't deny that," Sakura's eyes narrowed. "Onii-sama does enjoy making himself the most miserable, so he can justify saying, 'If I have to suffer like this, why should anyone else get special treatment?' I figured out that trick back when I was in elementary school."
"Wait, he was that clever even as a child?"
'What am I even saying?! Sakura is terrifying in this state!!!'
Rider realized she was rambling out of fear.
Thankfully, Arturia chimed in, relieving Rider's awkwardness.
"Master is good at using his advantages... He's a rather frightening man. He's definitely not someone I'd ever choose as a life partner."
Arturia crossed her arms, speaking with the authority of someone who'd seen it all.
Sakura blinked, and then suddenly burst into a fit of laughter, as if she'd thought of something extremely amusing. "I remember Onii-sama asked me a similar question once. My answer was: 'If all the men in the world died and I had to choose between Onii-sama and Senpai, I'd definitely choose you, Onii-sama~'"
"Is that a little sister's admiration for her brother? Like the innocent childhood wish of 'Brother, when I grow up, I want to marry you,'" Arturia said, patting her flat chest with a content smile. "Such pure and innocent childhood memories... I wish I could experience that, too."
"Nope!" Sakura waved her hand dismissively. "It's just that I find Senpai incredibly boring. No matter how much you mess with him, he'd just smile and take it. Onii-sama, on the other hand, jumps three feet in the air if you poke him. It's so much more fun."
"Sakura... give me back my heartfelt emotion..." Arturia groaned, placing a hand on her forehead in frustration.
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Meanwhile, at the Type-Moon office...
"Achoo!"
Shirou sneezed, looking slightly embarrassed. "Geez, did the weather turn cold too quickly?"
Sitting next to him, Shinji sneered, "I bet someone's talking about you. In thiis other side of world, getting badmouthed can count as a kind of curse, you know."
Shirou scratched his head with a grin, "Whatever, it's just talk anyway."
"You're such a goody-goody~"
Shinji clicked his tongue, his lifeless eyes glued to the TV in the lounge, where the first episode of Heaven's Feel was also playing.
"Master!"
At that moment, Cu Chulainn poked his head in from the door.
"Has it started yet?"
Without turning his head, Shinji replied, "No, a few more minutes."
"Oh, then we'll keep playing cards. Let us know when it starts."
After saying that, Cu Chulainn pulled his head back out.
Shinji grumbled irritably, "Tch, they said the story's too boring without any Servants, so they didn't want to watch. These guys are acting less and less like proper Servants."
"But I'm watching with you, aren't I?" Shirou tried to console him. "I guess they just prefer the more action-packed stuff."
'You could just fast-forward to Lancer and Archer's fight, couldn't you? It's a DVD, not a live broadcast.'
"Hey, Shirou."
Shinji turned his head and smirked at his friend, "You're wondering why I don't fast-forward, aren't you?"
"Shinji, don't tell me you can read minds now?"
"Your expression's too obvious." Shinji quipped. "You should learn from your dad—he knew how to keep a poker face like a real assassin."
Shirou shook his head, "Nah, I can't pull off that kind of look."
Shinji flashed an evil grin, "Idiot. This is when you're supposed to joke, 'What, like a North Korean assassin?'"
"Shinji, stop teasing me!"
"Can't help it, Shirou. You're just too fun to mess with."
Shinji smiled in a way that resembled Sakura's.
"Enough about me. What about you?" Shirou decided to turn the tables, a mischievous grin spreading across his face as he looked at Shinji.
"Let's talk about why you, Matou Shinji, a big-shot director, still haven't gone home this late. Normally, you're the type to watch TV at home, right?"
Shirou's tone was playful, a rare teasing edge showing itself.
"Uh..."
Shinji visibly faltered, his mouth twitching awkwardly.
"Well, Heaven's Feel is rated R, so I thought it'd be better for us guys to watch together..."
Shinji cleared his throat, obviously grasping at a flimsy excuse.
"Haha, you made Sakura mad again, didn't you?"
Shirou saw right through him. He had already guessed as much when Shinji had called him to watch TV earlier after dinner.
"It's about that weight-loss magecraft thing, right?"
Shinji looked like he had given up on life. "Yeah, that."
"Sakura found out?"
"Lissy told her."
Shinji sighed deeply, the atmosphere around him darkening, as if the background itself had turned gray.
"So that's why you won't fast-forward..." Shirou nodded in understanding. "If this ends too early, you'll get home while Sakura's still awake, huh?"
Shinji said nothing, but his expression revealed the truth.
"Well, at least my sister's easier to handle than yours." Shirou boasted with a proud smile.
"Yeah, Ilya won't punish you—she'll just chop you into little pieces."
"Don't say such terrifying things so nonchalantly!" Shirou retorted. "And wasn't that script written by you, Shinji?"
"But don't you think Ilya's smile when she goes dark is pretty amazing? Look for yourself."
Shinji gave Shirou a thumbs-up just as the scene where Ilya first meets Shirou appeared on the screen.
"..."
Shirou couldn't decide whether to admit he was a little scared or acknowledge that even in her darker moments, his sister was still kind of cute.
In the end, Shirou chose to stay silent.
There was no winning against Shinji in a verbal battle.
Still, Shirou wasn't too discouraged.
He planned to wait until all the Servants were present and then roast Shinji together with them.
After all, there was plenty to mock Shinji about in the Heaven's Feel script.
Luckily, Shirou didn't have to wait long—since Ilya's appearance was relatively late in the prologue, the Fifth Holy Grail War was about to truly begin.
Ding!
The red spear and black-and-white swords clashed on the screen, producing brilliant sparks.
"Hey, Shinji."
Shirou leaned over the table, propping his chin up with one hand.
"Don't you think the first sword clash sounds a bit too loud?"
Shinji shrugged. "I did that on purpose. It's to wake up anyone who fell asleep—it's a signal that the story's really starting."
Shirou's expression turned dark. "But aren't the people buying the DVD hardcore fans? Who's going to fall asleep?"
Shinji gave him a cryptic smile. "Who knows? Maybe someone got convinced to watch it by a friend."
He wasn't wrong.
Because as soon as the fight between Lancer and Archer started, one person who had fallen asleep during Shirou and Sakura's emotional scene woke up with a jolt.
"What's happening? Has that Matou brat come to assassinate me?"
With eyes wide like a ghost, Aozaki Tohko leaped up from the couch, startled by the sudden clash of weapons.
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