Chapter 367: The Fate/Apocrypha Premiere Descending from the Heavens
The event Shinji prepared for Shiki at the Fate/Apocrypha premiere hadn't been part of the original plan.
At the end of the day, Fate/Apocrypha and The Garden of Sinners belonged to two different series. They were separate films and really shouldn't have been lumped together.
In Shinji's initial blueprint, he hadn't intended to be so aggressive. He didn't want to straight-up tell fans that he was building a massive "Type-Moon cinematic universe." Instead, he planned to follow the path Marvel had taken in his previous life—slowly expanding the world step by step.
Unfortunately, reality had other ideas.
Shinji wanted to develop things steadily and honestly, but those Hollywood studios didn't play fair. They launched a sneak attack on this poor little comrade without warning.
No matter how influential Shinji and Fate were, standing alone against so many powerful enemies still made them look painfully outnumbered.
So, to bolster his courage—no, scratch that, to expand the publicity—Shinji ultimately decided to let audiences experience the charm of cross-series cinematic universe tie-ins ahead of schedule.
And as the bridge connecting Fate and The Garden of Sinners, Shiki ended up being the lucky one, enjoying Type-Moon's top-tier promotional resources earlier than expected.
Shinji leaned back with his legs crossed, smugly jerking his chin toward her.
"See, Shiki-nee? I've treated you pretty well, right? Letting you be the 'one more thing' at the premiere. How are you going to repay me?"
Hearing this, Shiki pursed her lips.
This was clearly just a shift in marketing strategy, yet he made it sound like he'd done it purely for her sake. This brat was getting more shameless by the day.
Still, it wasn't exactly borrowing flowers to offer as a gift either.
After all, it is Shinji who suggested making her the finale of the film's promotion.
"Shinji," Shiki said with a faint smile, "how do you think I should repay you? Like that North American heiress does?"
Shinji shot her a glance that clearly said, 'Don't just talk—put it into action.'
"..."
Shiki gained a brand-new understanding of just how thick-skinned Shinji really was.
This guy really knew how to climb when given an inch. Whatever happened to male restraint?
Suddenly, Shiki thought of something.
"You flirt with me like this—doesn't Flora say anything?"
"I have a very pure physical relationship with her," Shinji replied, solemnly spouting nonsense.
"Lissy is working very hard to compete for the position of my girlfriend, but so far, it's looking difficult."
"Because of company matters?"
Having served as Shinji's assistant for a time, Shiki knew perfectly well what the biggest obstacle was preventing Shinji and Cloris from officially confirming their relationship.
And precisely because she knew that, she could tell that Shinji's attentiveness toward her was mostly just a joke.
"Your perspective is too narrow, Shiki-nee."
Shinji raised his eyebrows smugly.
"If I can step on Lissy and climb even higher, our positions would be completely reversed. And once that happens—everyone included—you, I'll take you all."
He clenched his fist, boldly proclaiming his "ambition."
A smile appeared on Shiki's pretty face. She gently patted his shoulder and teased, "Then shouldn't I thank you for remembering to include me?"
Shinji nodded seriously.
"Of course. You're my officially designated cook."
Shiki rolled her eyes.
"Fine. If that day ever comes, I'll let you taste my food."
Shinji chuckled.
"What kind of food? The kind in the kitchen… or the kind in bed?"
Smack
His answer was a pillow thrown straight into his face.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
As the release date of Fate/Apocrypha drew closer, Times Group continued to ramp up its promotional efforts.
However, unlike previous years where entertainment media was uniformly dominated by Fate, this year saw a noticeable change.
Many outlets reserved their front pages for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles instead.
And it wasn't just media tied to Paramount—publications closely affiliated with Disney, Warner, and Fox were also placing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles prominently in their headlines.
Especially Disney—the sheer intensity of their promotion almost made Shinji suspect that Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was actually a Disney production.
Under the impact of the four turtles, Fate/Apocrypha's advance ticket sales did surpass those of Fate/Zero, but there was still a noticeable gap compared to Type-Moon's original expectations.
"Paramount's and Disney's media outlets are constantly biting at us," Ophelia reported. "Any time we launch a promotional event, they immediately roll out a matching one to compete head-on."
Hearing this, Shinji stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the nighttime skyline of New Fuyuki City.
"I made a mistake, Ophelia," he said calmly.
The young secretary looked at him in surprise. It was rare for her boss to openly admit fault.
Up until now, Shinji had always given her the impression of unwavering confidence.
Shinji let out a soft sigh.
"I underestimated them."
Though he had always claimed he never looked down on his opponents, two years of smooth sailing had inevitably dulled his vigilance.
This ambush had been orchestrated by several film companies deliberately concealing their plans and striking when he least expected it—but the fact that Shinji himself hadn't taken things seriously enough was undeniable.
After all, Type-Moon's VFX department had even provided technical support for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. If Shinji had bothered to look into it even a little, there was no way he wouldn't have known roughly how far along the production was.
Clearly, repeated success had subtly altered his mindset.
"I've become a bit arrogant, huh…"
Shinji rubbed his temples, issuing a silent warning to himself.
No matter which work or which route, every version of Shinji Matou met his end through arrogance.
Thinking about the various crash-and-burn endings of Shinji in FSN, Shinji felt he had to be far more cautious—unless he wanted to truly hit a game over.
That would be disastrous. Worse than Cu Chulainn, even.
After a brief moment of self-reflection, Shinji's fighting spirit quickly reignited.
Compared to single-player mode, PvP was always more exhilarating. The stronger the opponent, the greater the sense of accomplishment after victory.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Cinderella, Pirates of the Caribbean—these films were indeed formidable commercial rivals. Defeating them would only make his success feel more meaningful.
"If possible… I wonder whether I'll encounter opponents of an even higher tier in the future?" Shinji mused, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
This incident made him realize that other studios were actively trying to catch up to him. That meant more and more films he personally found "familiar" might appear down the line.
The thought of competing head-on with those titles stirred a strange excitement within him.
Just as Shinji was indulging in his internal monologue, Ophelia slowly walked up beside him.
"Oh, right—there's something I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier."
"What is it?"
"Miss Cloris called just now. She said Robert Iger wants to attend the Fate/Apocrypha premiere."
"The smiling Mickey Mouse?"
Shinji raised an eyebrow slightly.
Even without digging deeper, just by looking at the release schedules for Cinderella and Pirates of the Caribbean, Shinji knew that Disney's shadow was impossible to miss behind this coalition of rivals.
The corners of his mouth curled upward.
"No problem. Send him a formal invitation."
Since Robert Iger wanted to come, Shinji was more than happy to welcome him.
He also wanted to meet this legendary Hollywood executive in person—and, while he was at it, personally thank him for all his generous and righteous deeds.
Although Shinji greatly admired this "smiling Mickey Mouse" for his keen business instincts and his masterful commercial layout of Disney, once it came to business, an opponent was still an opponent. There was no way Shinji would treat him with warmth.
Restraining himself to mere sarcastic politeness was already the greatest concession Shinji was willing to make—for the sake of the company's image.
Soon enough, Robert Iger received the invitation personally delivered by representatives of Times Group.
Looking at the gold-embossed lettering on the card, Robert Iger revealed his trademark Mickey Mouse–like smile.
"Boss, are you really going to attend the Fate/Apocrypha premiere?" his secretary asked curiously.
"Why wouldn't I?" Iger replied with a smile, casually waving the invitation in his hand.
"They've invited me so formally."
"But… isn't Paramount our ally? If you attend this, you won't be going to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiere—"
"It's fine. I've already spoken to Ms. Lansing," Iger said matter-of-factly.
"My reason was simple—reconnaissance."
A puzzled look appeared on the secretary's face.
In that last sentence, there was a faint hint of mockery in Iger's tone. It was clear that what he said and what he thought were not quite the same.
Robert Iger's decision to attend the Fate/Apocrypha premiere was indeed partly to understand the film itself—but his true goal wasn't espionage.
It was evaluation.
An evaluation of the commercial value of Shinji Matou.
As for Fate itself, that hardly needed discussion. Robert Iger even hoped that Fuyuki City's aerial garden might one day become a large-scale attraction in a Disney theme park.
But Shinji Matou…
Robert Iger was a firm believer in IP supremacy. In his view, as long as the IP existed, the people attached to it were replaceable.
Even if that person was the one who single-handedly created the Fate legend.
The reason Iger wanted to observe Shinji Matou personally was because rumors had surfaced in early Fate/Apocrypha screenings—rumors claiming that Shinji had "run out of talent."
He wanted to confirm it with his own eyes.
If Fate/Apocrypha truly performed poorly, then in any future acquisition, Disney would only purchase the Fate IP itself—and would not recruit Shinji Matou.
With that thought in mind, Robert Iger asked,
"What was Times Group's original estimate for the first week in North America?"
"They projected thirty-five million dollars," the secretary replied with a faint smile.
"Twenty million of that was expected from pre-sales. But with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the picture, current pre-sales won't even come close."
"Excellent."
For once, there was a trace of seriousness beneath Robert Iger's smile.
"My side of the board is already set. Now it's your turn to place your piece, Director Matou."
"Let me see whether you truly live up to your reputation—or if you're all name and no substance."
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
On the day of the Fate/Apocrypha premiere, all of Fuyuki City was alive with excitement—drums beating, fireworks roaring, banners flying, and crowds flooding the streets.
The Fate/Apocrypha of today was nothing like the FSN of years past.
Back then, Fate was so obscure that no one even cared about its premiere.
But now?
Even with underwhelming pre-sale numbers, tickets to the Fate/Apocrypha premiere were still nearly impossible to obtain.
For overseas fans from Europe and America, making the trip to Fuyuki City was far from easy—but not even that could dampen their love for Fate.
As for the invited guests, that went without saying.
Aside from those who were practically wearing the same pants as Paramount, most guests considered it a genuine honor to receive an invitation to the Fate/Apocrypha premiere.
After all, quite a few of the invited guests were Fate fans themselves. Being able to watch the film ahead of schedule was a rare privilege—even for big-name celebrities.
As a diehard Shinji fan, Miss Kuonji Alice couldn't care less about a movie revolving around the love and hate of four sewer-dwelling turtles.
No matter how good that movie might be, what did it have to do with loyal fans of Shinji Matou?
Because of poor luck, Alice had missed the test screening earlier. This time, she had come all the way to Fuyuki City specifically for Fate/Apocrypha, just to support the director she adored.
Still, to avoid being caught on camera, Alice made some simple disguises.
Unlike Alice, a veteran and core member of the "Shinji fan club," Li Ri'ang hadn't been a Shinji fan before Super 8.
In fact, before that film, his understanding of Type-Moon and Fate barely went beyond a surface-level awareness.
But Superior Ultraman 8 Brothers changed everything.
Not only did Li Ri'ang come to know this world-class commercial director, he also became a member of Type-Moon's China branch. Through that, he even learned of the existence of magecraft—stepping into an entirely new world he had never imagined before.
This time, Li Ri'ang came to Fuyuki City together with Matou Kariya, serving as his assistant, specifically to attend the premiere.
As for the strange rumors and negative news circulating online about the movie, Li Ri'ang didn't care in the slightest.
Even setting aside his identity as a company employee, purely as a fan, Li Ri'ang firmly believed that Shinji would never disappoint those who liked his work—just as he hadn't with Super 8.
Beyond fans with special identities like Alice and Li Ri'ang, massive numbers of ordinary Fate fans were equally thrilled.
This was the first time in years—since Fate/Zero—that Fate was returning to the big screen. That alone was enough reason to celebrate wildly.
The cheers and shouts of excited fans, mixed with the constant clicking of camera shutters from media reporters, formed the unique background music of Fuyuki City during the Fate/Apocrypha premiere.
Today, no matter where you stood in the city, you could hear this noisy blend of sounds.
Even as the sun set and the sky gradually darkened, the crowd's enthusiasm showed no sign of fading.
On the contrary, as the screening time drew closer, the atmosphere grew increasingly feverish.
Especially when actors who had portrayed Servants and Masters in FSN and FZ walked onto the red carpet—the crowd was instantly ignited, with fans exploding like Deidara's clay.
And the absolute climax of the red carpet segment arrived with the appearance of the film's core creators—
Against the pitch-black sky, a brilliant beam of light shot upward. Then, under countless astonished gazes, a colossal object flew over the city and finally came to a halt above the Type-Moon Theater.
"The Hanging Gardens!"
Someone shouted, and the crowd lining both sides of the red carpet instantly boiled over.
"It's huge!"
"Is that the Hanging Gardens from the movie?! That's incredible!"
"This is amazing! I'm definitely proposing up there someday!"
"I heard they're planning to offer private bookings for weddings in the future!"
...
Kayneth and Waver, who were walking the red carpet at the time, were also startled by the massive presence in the sky.
"Shinji really knows how to put on a show," Kayneth exclaimed, looking up at the hovering sky fortress.
"The spectacle is impressive enough," he added. "Even if, fundamentally, it's just brute force and raw power."
Waver, on the other hand, looked rather uninterested. With a casual tone, he said, "Didn't the first batch of visitors tour it during New Year's? With concrete information already leaked, of course people would be excited. Still, I suppose for ordinary people, a sky city like this is pretty miraculous."
Kayneth seemed not to hear Waver at all.
He continued gazing up at the Hanging Gardens, a trace of yearning flickering in his eyes.
"I say, Waver."
"Hm?"
"What do you think about holding my wedding up there someday? Do you think she'd like it?"
"…Professor, if you're already thinking about hosting your wedding there, shouldn't you start with something a little more realistic?"
Hearing that, Waver let out a small sigh.
"This time, it's just the two of us—two grown men—watching a movie."
"..."
Kayneth awkwardly scratched at his hairline, which continued its tireless retreat.
"Well, that's because Leigh went to North America for a premiere, you know~" Kayneth said, defending his fiancée. "She has work. There was no helping it."
'She's your fiancée, and yet she went to attend the premiere of a rival faction…'
Waver glanced at his mentor and decided it would be better to spare him the embarrassment.
Waver understood perfectly well that Miss Leigh Euphia Archelot had attended the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles premiere as a favor, and that Paramount had no idea about Kayneth's connection with Shinji. Even so, that only made his urge to complain stronger.
The kind he absolutely couldn't voice out loud.
"Professor, let's just go inside."
"…Right."
Kayneth nodded, but his gaze remained fixed on the floating castle in the sky.
It was obvious that the idea of holding a wedding in the Hanging Gardens had firmly taken root in his mind.
Just as Kayneth and Waver walked across the red carpet and entered the theater lobby, a gate opened beneath the Hanging Gardens. A platform carrying the main staff of Fate/Apocrypha slowly descended.
Shinji Matou in formal wear, Jeanne d'Arc, Amakusa Shirou, and the others stepped down from the platform under a storm of camera flashes, setting foot upon the red carpet.
This specially designed, unconventional entrance instantly stole all the attention from the rest of the premiere.
From the moment the Hanging Gardens appeared in the sky to the instant Shinji and the others stepped onto the platform, only a few short minutes had passed—but it was enough to push the atmosphere of the premiere to its peak. Countless fans felt as though they had truly stepped into a wondrous world of Holy Grail Wars—
—though, in truth, this world already had a Holy Grail.
"If Astolfo showed up riding his hippogriff, we'd probably dominate the headlines for the next month," Mordred said on the red carpet, clearly enjoying the chaos as she made the suggestion to Shinji.
"If that happened, we'd become public enemies of the magi community first," Shinji replied coldly.
The Hanging Gardens were already stretching the limits of believability, but they could at least be brushed off as some kind of advanced technology. A hippogriff, however—an actual mythical creature like that—appearing before ordinary people was far beyond something that could be explained away with, 'Wow, science is amazing!'
No matter how little common sense people had, they all knew that modern biotechnology hadn't advanced to the point of creating creatures straight out of myth.
"…Well," Shinji muttered thoughtfully, "maybe not necessarily."
Thinking back to the countless creative stunts pulled by Western crowds during the pandemic, Shinji suddenly felt that fooling those people might not actually be that difficult.
"Forget it. Less trouble is better than more."
Shinji shook his head, forcefully tossing aside the insane idea Mordred had tempted him with, then took the hand of the film's female lead and led her across the red carpet.
After hastily wrapping up the routine interviews in the press area, Shinji entered the theater first—only to see a middle-aged man approaching him of his own accord.
"Hello there, Shinji Matou."
Seeing the approaching "Mickey Mouse," Shinji greeted him calmly. "Good evening, Mr. Iger."
There was no need for introductions. Shinji recognized him at a glance—he had seen this man's face plenty of times in his previous life.
They exchanged a light handshake, and Robert Iger said with a smile, "I'm very much looking forward to your film."
It had to be said—Robert Iger's smile was genuinely warm. No wonder he had earned the nickname 'the Smiling Mickey Mouse'. Looking at him, one really did get the feeling of a harmless cartoon mascot.
'Unfortunately, the person wearing that smile is the very embodiment of Disney capital. Quite the double entendre. As expected, in this world there are only mistaken names—never mistaken nicknames.'
Shinji returned the smile faintly and replied, "Actually, I'm also very much looking forward to Cinderella and Pirates of the Caribbean."
He truly was.
He was curious to see just how different they would be from the versions in his memories.
This little game of spot-the-differences, one only he could play, was sure to be entertaining.
However, to Robert Iger's ears, Shinji's words sounded less like goodwill and more like a fox wishing a chicken a happy New Year—at the very least, they carried the unmistakable air of thinly veiled irony.
"Then I'll take that as a blessing," Iger said, nodding. Even if he suspected Shinji was being sarcastic, his manners were impeccable as he accepted it.
"You really think movies from your company will succeed? Seriously?"
Mordred, who had been holding onto Shinji's arm the whole time, suddenly spoke up, her tone dripping with unmistakable mockery.
At those words, Iger's gaze shifted to the girl who bore an uncanny resemblance to Arturia.
Mordred responded with a huge grin that showed off her small canine teeth.
But while her smile was sweet, the words that followed were anything but.
"I always thought Disney was an animation company. Turns out you guys make live-action films too?"
"You…"
Mordred's remark made Robert Iger frown.
Looking back over the past ten, twenty—no, even thirty years, Disney's achievements in live-action cinema could honestly be described with a single word: disastrous.
The company's survival had largely depended on wave after wave of re-released classic DVDs, barely keeping itself alive.
With that in mind, Robert Iger felt both personally and corporately insulted—
—because Mordred had spoken an uncomfortable truth.
<+>
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