In Type-Moon, it all starts with adopting Sakura.

"Hey, hey, hey, handsome, if it's just a coincidence that you're at a coffee shop near the Fuyuki Bridge, then that's a bit too much of a coincidence, isn't it? What exactly is your purpose in contacting us? Deliberately approaching and testing us is one thing, but if you're looking for my uncle or Father Kotomine, there's no such thing here..."

Shinji Matou cut to the chase, then gestured for Kallen and Shirou to get ready for battle. This was the Fuyuki City Bridge at night, and the reason Shirou chose a secluded café was because it genuinely was. Therefore, he didn't believe that Rowe's presence here was purely accidental; Shinji was certain that this guy had some ulterior motive.

only……

Seeing Shinji Matou's infuriating performance, Luo Wei's lips twitched involuntarily. Seriously, he truly lives up to his reputation as a high-level extra in countless Type-Moon fanfics, whose deaths are more tragic than the last. Just that one taunting ability alone, if he were playing an online game, he probably wouldn't even need a taunt skill; he's a natural target for firepower.

However, his words and analysis were indeed very reasonable; the idea of ​​a chance encounter in such a place seemed like a lie, but...

Loewe really met them by chance.

The reason he came was because a certain unnamed man with the surname "Dog" called him and said he was going to have a duel at the Fuyuki Bridge that night, so the drinking party was canceled. That's why Luo Wei came to check it out. He didn't expect that the location of these three little guys would happen to be near the area where Cú Chulainn and the other Servants were supposed to fight.

However, meeting each other is also a kind of fate.

He remembered that Shirou and Kallen were also assistant supervisors in this Holy Grail War.

So, after thinking about it, he decided to bring them over to see it later.

What is the power that comes from mythology?

What is the destructive power of the upper echelons of the mystical world?

Let them experience firsthand the ancient legends created by the heroic spirits.

Chapter 387 Shirou and Shinji

From an outsider's perspective, Shinji Matou's life was actually quite tragic. Living in such a family, the only decent person, Kariya Matou, died young, and even his father was merely a puppet, living his entire life under the control of the old man. Without the guidance of his family, and with the old man's deliberate machinations, it was impossible for him not to go astray.

Not only that, his fate is also extremely tragic. In every storyline, Shinji is the one who will be killed, in all sorts of ways, including but not limited to being killed directly, or being turned into a hole in the Holy Grail by Gilgamesh. He can be said to be an utterly unlucky guy.

However, the proverb "There is always something hateful about a pitiful person" is quite aptly reflected in Shinji Matou's character.

Considering all the things he did, these deaths can only be attributed to his own actions; for him, living in such a family was the biggest mistake of all.

However, now that he hasn't been manipulated and corrupted by the old insect, Shinji Matou, although just a spoiled brat with a somewhat bad temper and personality, hasn't distorted his values ​​and hasn't done anything heinous or unforgivable. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to have such a good relationship with the clergy members Kallen and Shirou.

Given Shirou's current personality, shaped by Kirei Kotomine's upbringing, it's easy to predict that if Shinji Matou dared to break the law, his Bajiquan would land on his cheek in the next moment, definitely bringing him to his senses.

After all, Shirou is still a champion of justice, but he is no longer the kind-hearted man he used to be. Kirei Kotomine taught him that we should be gentle and kind to kind people and not use violence, but if we are facing sinners or inhuman beings, we must use swift and decisive measures to better protect the innocent and not have any psychological burden.

Our hearts are as clear as a mirror, and all our actions are righteous.

Just follow your will.

Although Shirou found it a bit strange, he remembered it completely and put it into practice.

But whether it was fate or just that the world is too small, Shirou and Shinji's meeting was still so familiar.

As the rightful heir of the Matou family, Shinji Matou is now a true high-class, rich, and handsome man, even though the Matou family has withdrawn from the magic world. However, thanks to the family fortune that Matou Tsuruno rescued, Shinji Matou is still a true high-class, rich, and handsome man.

Although he still sports a seaweed-like hairstyle, Shinji has always been quite unique. Despite lacking magical talent and being forbidden from engaging with supernatural things by his father, he possesses exceptional abilities in other areas. Whether in academics or sports, Shinji Matou has consistently ranked at the top of his class, a true academic star and a combination of being handsome, rich, and successful.

Therefore, he is often surrounded by a large number of female admirers. However, the proud Shinji always treats these girls with the attitude of "You are so annoying, stay away from me, I am not interested in ordinary girls," and actively drives them away.

Over the years, no one had ever been a true friend to him, and no girl or boy had ever caught his eye, but that was before he met Shirou and Kallen.

After first meeting Shirou in middle school, Shinji became interested in Shirou, a kind-hearted man who was good at all housework and could basically grant any request. Moreover, he sensed that Shirou and Kallen, who was by his side, both possessed certain qualities that ordinary people could not perceive, qualities that kept drawing him closer.

As they gradually got to know each other, Shinji was surprised to find that Shirou and Kallen were not as simple as they seemed on the surface. In particular, he had once witnessed Shirou hunting vampires and other monsters in a corner of Fuyuki City. His moves were clean and efficient, and he was completely focused on the fight, which was very different from his usual self. In just a few exchanges, he successfully dismembered the terrible monster and then cremated it on the spot.

That night, he realized what the trait he couldn't understand before was, and what those magic tricks that only existed in his family's notebooks were.

And why did Shirou attract me? Turns out, this guy is a legendary magician!

Although Shirou later discovered that Shinji had been spying on him, Shinji looked at him with a headache and apologized because he hadn't hidden his tracks well and had been noticed by ordinary people, Shirou decided to erase Shinji's memories of that night for the sake of secrecy.

However, when Shirou heard Matou Shinji say that he knew what had just happened, that he knew about the existence of magicians, and that he himself was a descendant of magicians, he was stunned. He didn't expect that it was already strange for him to go to school in hiding as an agent, but he didn't expect that his classmate and friend Shinji was also a magician.

Because he couldn't make up his mind, he took Shinji to Kirei Kotomine's place. After learning that Shinji Matou was a member of the Matou family, Kirei Kotomine didn't erase his memories. But from that day on, Shirou felt that Shinji's gaze towards him was becoming increasingly intense.

She kept trying to win him over, circling around him and trying every trick in the book to get him to teach her magic. But Shirou had explained this to her many times: he was an agent, not a magician, and he himself didn't know many magic tricks, most of which were just biblical baptismal chants. He couldn't teach her. But Shinji Matou still wouldn't give up, saying he'd teach her anything, even other skills. He wasn't picky. This led to Kallen getting a little annoyed because of her constant pestering of Shirou.

Although Shinji Matou learned his true identity, Shirou felt relieved after also learning that Shinji Matou was not an ordinary person. At least he wouldn't have to use such a vicious method as memory sealing on his friend.

Moreover, as descendants and agents of magicians, they are both beings involved in another world, so Shirou still regards Shinji as his friend, regardless of family or anything else, even though he is now just an ordinary person who doesn't understand magic.

This deeply moved Shinji.

'Shirou, you've caught my attention.'

'We'll be best brothers for life!'

Even though he had to spend every day in the same space as that crazy woman Kallen, Shinji would still occasionally gravitate towards Shirou, and sometimes even wanted to join them on missions, just like today, where Shirou couldn't get rid of him even if he wanted to.

It's truly a wonderful friendship, very precious. At the same time, Luo Wei also felt it was such a pity; if this guy were a girl, then there would probably have been a strange branch like the Shinji route.

After thinking about it, Luo Wei felt a bit embarrassed and stopped thinking about it. Instead, he sat down, ordered a decent-looking coffee, and asked Shirou to pay for it, as a way of settling the protection fee later.

Although Shirou didn't understand what the protection fee meant, he still dutifully paid for Rowe's coffee. After all, Rowe was his master's friend, and it was only natural for a junior to treat him to coffee. This incident displeased Shinji, who increasingly felt that Rowe was a strange and scheming magician.

Another reason is that everyone knows Shirou himself doesn't have much money. After all, he's a high school student and can only get pocket money from his parents. His hunting missions never offer monetary rewards; he usually receives new weapons from the Holy Church. Kirei Kotomine once offered Shirou money, but he refused and chose to go out and do odd jobs.

Shinji Matou even suggested to Shirou that he work at his family's company. He said he could use his status as the heir to give Shirou bonuses and raises with ease, which would make Shirou grateful and build a good relationship—a perfectly rosy prospect. Unfortunately, Shirou refused, which made Shinji Matou sullen for a long time.

Shinji Matou couldn't stand the fact that Shirou was paying other people's bills before they even received their salaries, and that he was getting involved with them without knowing whether they were good or bad people. So he grabbed Shirou's arm, pulled Kallen along, and they left the coffee shop to whisper to each other.

"What are you trying to do? What's gotten into you again?"

Karen questioned Shinji with extreme displeasure. However, Shinji, who would normally retort sarcastically upon hearing such words, remained silent this time. Instead, he pulled them along, speaking mysteriously as they walked:

"Let's leave that aside for now. Anyway, I have something I want to ask you. Kallen, Shirou, do you two really know that guy? He gave me a dangerous feeling. It's best to stay away from him."

"what?"

Karen and Shirou were speechless after hearing Shinji's words.

"Why are you worrying about this again? That's someone Father knows. We just met him the day before yesterday. How could he be a bad person?"

“Shinji, it’s good that you want to protect us, but that gentleman really isn’t a bad person. Master was there too, and they seemed to have a good relationship. It’s really rude of you to leave like this.”

Having realized what Shinji was worrying about for no reason, the two couldn't help but speak up.

"..."

After hearing their words, Shinji fell silent.

He felt that perhaps he was worrying unnecessarily, but no matter how he felt, he had a bad feeling, or rather, this feeling had been getting stronger and stronger since the beginning. He felt that something bad might happen tonight, so he hurriedly led them away to try to avoid getting involved in anything dangerous.

"..."

Even though they were far from the coffee shop, Shinji Matou's premonition hadn't disappeared. He rubbed his temples and told Kallen and Shirou to come with him to another place for a while.

After all, although they were supposed to have a mission, they didn't actually know where they were going, right? Since that's the case, they might as well leave with him first and wait patiently; there's no need to rush.

Karen and Shirou exchanged a glance, agreeing with Shinji's reasoning, and decided to leave with him first. Besides, the Matou family happened to own a property nearby, so they could rest there for a while.

However, just as they were about to cross the Fuyuki City Bridge and leave, the three of them suddenly noticed something was wrong. Their eyes immediately sharpened, and they turned a warning to the empty surroundings.

Although it wasn't the weekend, and the three of them were only temporarily off school because of the gas pipeline explosion at the seaside park near the school, the journey was unusually quiet. They hadn't encountered a single person or seen a single car.

The bizarre scene made it impossible for Shinji and Karen, who were not used to each other, to make any more choices. In an instant, the three of them huddled together, warily looking around.

Yes, there really wasn't a single car.

It's astonishing that there wasn't a single car on the bridge in Fuyuki City; this is something that has never happened before.

An unusual, uneasy, and eerie feeling began to overwhelm them.

Within the triangle, Kallen pulled out a red shroud and began chanting a spell, while Shirou instantly switched to a battle stance, brandishing two black standard weapons, Kirei Kotomine's Black Key, and began to be on alert of his surroundings. Only Shinji looked like he was the only one who couldn't do it, but he still picked up a wooden stick from the roadside and held it in his hand to bolster his courage.

Kallen and Shirou, the duo of a proxy and a nun personally trained by Kirei Kotomine, need no introduction; their combat experience is incredibly rich. Although Shinji Matou doesn't know magic, he has some knowledge of it. Therefore, the three of them immediately realized that someone had used a magical barrier to cover the Fuyuki City Bridge.

"This should be a magical barrier to repel idlers, which means that a magician set it up in advance. It seems that we stumbled in by accident."

After analyzing the situation, Shirou quickly guessed what was going on and made a serious decision.

"And it's very likely related to the Holy Grail War. They probably won't make things difficult for us as the overseers, but just in case, Kallen, you take Shinji and leave first. I'll stay here. If they really have malicious intentions, I'll stop them."

"By the way, if I'm not out in ten minutes, go find Master. Don't worry about me, and whatever you do, don't barge in again."

"I see……"

Upon hearing this, Kallen nodded, then handed her shroud to Shirou and instructed him, "You must be very careful."

Then she was about to take Shinji away from here.

"What?! Are you kidding me?! Are you going to abandon Shirou?!"

Shinji, realizing what Karen was about to do, widened his eyes and immediately burst into a tirade of curses before vehemently refusing.

"Go if you want! I'm not going to..."

Before he could finish speaking, Shinji Matou felt a buzzing in his ears.

Snapped!

A crisp slap rang out, and without a word, Kallen delivered a powerful blow, slapping Matou Shinji across the face, leaving him reeling.

Then, to his disbelief, he heard Karen's voice.

"Whether you leave or not is your own business. Even if you die, it has nothing to do with me. But let me remind you, with your level of skill in magic, staying here will only cause trouble for Shirou. If you think it doesn't matter even so, then do as you please."

"I……"

Hearing Kallen's cold words, Shinji Matou's excited mind seemed to be doused with cold water, and he suddenly became much more sober.

He looked at Kallen, then at Shirou, and silently clenched his fist.

He also knew that Karen was right.

She was far too weak. She didn't even know magic. Even though she had pestered Shirou to teach her some Bajiquan, it was just a rudimentary skill. It was enough to deal with ordinary people, but it was completely unqualified to fight a magician. If she continued to stay, she would only become a burden to Shirou.

Although Shinji Matou is arrogant, he is not stupid; he can understand this principle with just a little calm.

"Alright, let's go. But Shirou, you must be careful."

So he took a deep breath and stopped insisting, preparing to escape with Karen to seek help.

Although he couldn't bear to leave Shirou alone, he couldn't accept becoming a burden to Shirou even more. Now was not the time to be reckless. Knowing one's own limitations and recognizing one's own abilities was also a very good quality.

"There's a human voice..."

Just as he was about to escape with Karen, a flirtatious male voice came from across the mist.

"Ugh, what's going on? How can ordinary people break into a barrier set up with runes? That's really worrying. If Master finds out, I'm sure I'll get yelled at again, right?"

Upon hearing the sound, Shinji Matou and Kallen stepped back together and looked at the blue-haired youth who emerged from the mist not far away. He was wearing a blue bodysuit and had a crimson magic spear slung over his shoulder.