Chapter 346: The Garden of Sinners Wraps Up!
The filming district of Fuyuki City lay quiet under the drizzle.
Picking his way carefully through the chaotic wreckage of the bridge set, Shirou Emiya finally found Shiki Ryougi, standing there in the pouring rain as if inviting it.
Kokutou Mikiya and Ryougi Shiki—this legendary couple, one of the most beloved and least disputed in all of Type-Moon's history—gazed deeply into each other's eyes.
There was too much unspoken between them.
From behind the monitor, Shinji watched the scene unfold. This was the final scene of Remaining Sense of Pain, the very last shot of the entire film.
Maybe because they could already feel the end drawing near, both Shirou and Shiki seemed a little too relaxed, and this scene had gone through several NGs in a row. Shinji had almost started wondering if Shiki had actually fallen in love with the rain and refused to stop just to stay in it.
Thankfully, both actors had managed to pull themselves together at last. This take looked much better already.
Amid the sound of heavy rain, Shirou, now in the role of Kokutou Mikiya, quietly asked the girl before him—the one called Ryougi Shiki:
"Shiki, you still can't forgive Asagami Fujino, can you?"
"... I don't care about the one I already killed."
Her tone carried neither hatred nor pity.
To her, Asagami Fujino was nothing more than a stranger now.
"How about you? You say murder is wrong no matter what the reason is."
That question made Shirou smile bitterly.
"...Yeah. But I do pity her. To be honest, when I think about the guys who hurt her, I can't really feel anything about their deaths."
"How unexpected. I thought you'd give me some moral lecture."
Mikiya felt a small sting in his chest at her words.
So that's it—she wanted someone to scold her.
Shirou closed his eyes and listened to the sound of rain.
Shinji narrowed his eyes.
This was the part where Shirou and Shiki had stumbled the most.
Mikiya's long, philosophical monologue about sin and punishment had too many lines to memorize, and since he couldn't glance at the cue cards, Shirou had messed it up several times already.
So this time, Shinji decided to skip that portion entirely. They'd fix it in post—Shirou could record the lines later, while the footage would only show Shiki's expression as she listened.
That way, the audience wouldn't catch Shirou silently mouthing random numbers under his breath.
At last, after getting Shinji's nod of approval, Shiki feigned the look of someone who had just heard Mikiya's poetic speech, and stepped toward him.
"You really are a hopeless good guy, huh?"
For once, the ever-expressionless girl smiled—softly, beautifully.
"You said this before, didn't you, Mikiya? The more a person understands common sense, the stronger their sense of sin becomes… which means there can't really be bad people."
"But, you know… I'm not that decent of a person. Aren't you worried about letting someone like me exist?"
Mikiya's expression grew gentle.
"Is that so? Then I suppose… I'll carry your sin for you."
At those nearly-confessional words, Shiki froze in the rain, stunned.
Then, flustered, she looked away, a faint blush creeping onto her cheeks.
"...You really haven't changed. Always saying the most serious things with that straight face of yours!"
Her tone was sharp, but her voice trembled just a little.
Mikiya let out a soft, helpless laugh.
"Well, if it's a single girl's burden… I think I can manage to carry it."
Hearing that weak protest, Shiki finally broke into laughter.
Her smile bloomed in the rain—dazzling, unguarded, and heartbreakingly beautiful.
Everyone on set who saw it found themselves momentarily enchanted.
Of course—even if she wasn't quite the "Type-Moon daughter," Shiki Ryougi remained one of the most special, most beloved heroines of them all. An eternal fan favorite.
"One more confession," she whispered. "I feel guilty about this incident too. But because of that guilt, I finally understood… how I want to live—and what it is I really want."
"Even if it's something vague… even dangerous," Shiki murmured, her voice so soft it almost melted into the rain. "Right now, it's the only thing I can rely on. And those things I once thought I could never depend on… maybe they're not as terrible as I imagined."
Her fingertips brushed lightly across her eyes—those eyes that had carried her turmoil through the entire film.
At long last, Ryougi Shiki looked at peace.
"You know," she said with a tiny, wistful smile, "I think I'm even… a little happy. Just a little—only a little, okay? Of this killing impulse that is slightly leaning towards your image…"
"H-hey!"
Shirou's weak protest was all he could manage in reply.
The rain was fading now, the summer sun peeking shyly through the clouds.
He watched Shiki bathed in the soft golden light—and for the first time since she'd awoken, she smiled.
A real smile.
Slowly, Shirou stepped forward and held out his hand.
She took it, and together they walked—hand in hand, through the lingering drizzle, toward the rising dawn.
Then—
"Cut!"
Shinji's voice broke through the moment.
He scanned the set once, then announced loudly,
"Filming—officially wrapped!"
Since it was the very last scene, there weren't many people left on set.
But everyone still broke into scattered applause, happy and relieved to hear those words.
As for the leading duo, Shirou and Shiki had already bolted for the dressing room the instant Shinji called cut.
Shinji pressed the playback button, reviewing the final shot again.
Everything looked perfect.
He nodded in satisfaction and told his assistant to start wrapping up the set.
The ending of Remaining Sense of Pain carried a quiet melancholy—not quite the triumphant finale of a typical blockbuster.
But that sense of wistful emptiness was exactly what the The Garden of Sinners series was about.
To Shinji, the stories of The Garden of Sinners always ended "happily enough"—but only for Mikiya and Shiki.
For the other characters, their fates were always tinged with regret and tragedy.
And yet, that imperfection—that beauty found within brokenness—was the very soul of The Garden of Sinners.
He wouldn't have it any other way.
After all, if the lovers ended up together, what more could the audience ask for?
That night, the crew held a wrap-up party at the Hyatt Hotel in Fuyuki City.
Of course, everyone knew these "celebrations" were mostly for show—a good excuse for public relations and free publicity.
Type-Moon's PR department went all out: they rolled out a red carpet in front of the hotel, invited a swarm of media reporters, and turned the event into a full-blown spectacle.
Not just the press—the company had even live-streamed the party to fan communities online, drawing in hundreds of fans who came to join the excitement.
The result? The wrap-up party looked less like a behind-the-scenes event and more like a mini award ceremony or a movie premiere red carpet.
Far from complaining, Shinji stepped right up to the interview area, smiling for the cameras.
The filming was done—now came the real battlefield: promotion season.
And this was exactly what he wanted.
"The hardest part," he said smoothly to the cameras, "was definitely the shooting process itself. Filming is always exhausting… especially the climax. We put in a lot of effort to make the scenes feel real."
The answers were textbook—talking about the struggles and funny stories from the set.
But sprinkled here and there, Shinji dropped just enough vague "behind-the-scenes secrets" to give the media something juicy to spin.
He'd been in the entertainment industry for years now.
Reporters? Please—he could handle them in his sleep.
But of course, Japanese tabloid journalists were a breed of their own.
They were never satisfied sticking to movie talk.
After a few questions about The Garden of Sinners, one reporter leaned forward eagerly:
"Matou-sensei, one last question—do you have a girlfriend?"
The question was one the reporters had wanted to ask for years.
But back then, Shinji had been too young—tossing that kind of gossip at a teenager would've made them look like creeps.
Now, though, with Shinji older and well-established, they could finally dig for juicy headlines without feeling guilty.
"Sorry…"
Shinji wore that familiar calm expression, offering an awkward yet perfectly polite smile.
"I don't answer questions unrelated to the film."
Of course, that only made the press more excited.
One of them immediately leaned forward, shoving a microphone nearly against his lips.
"Matou-sensei, you're avoiding the question—does that mean you already have a girlfriend?"
Shinji didn't bother replying. Instead, he shot a glance to the side.
Security caught the signal instantly, stepping in to open a path through the crowd. Without so much as a backward glance, Shinji strode straight into the hotel lobby.
"Damn it, I wish I had a girlfriend…"
He muttered under his breath, irritation bubbling up as he crossed the entrance.
"You're not wrong," came a teasing voice beside him.
It was Rin, acting as his temporary assistant for the night. She smiled sweetly, eyes gleaming with mischief.
"You really should get one. Showing up alone at an event like this looks kind of sad, don't you think?"
"Ugh, tell me about it. I really want girlfriends—smart, cute, charming, and with a killer body!"
"…Girlfriends… plural?"
Rin blinked, momentarily thrown off. Her childhood friend had once again managed to lower her expectations of human logic in a single sentence.
Thankfully, Shinji didn't press the topic. Instead, he led her deeper into the party hall.
If this had been one of those wild, debauched entertainment-industry parties—the kind where shady deals and questionable substances floated freely—it might have turned into a scandalous circus.
But this was different.
The wrap-up party for The Garden of Sinners was a legitimate, public-facing event—far more formal than the usual showbiz chaos.
In fact, it felt closer to a polished business reception—except that nearly every guest was an old acquaintance of Shinji's.
Which, naturally, was part of his plan.
Aside from celebrating the film's completion, the real purpose of this gathering was to strengthen connections—a sort of year-end social visit within his professional circle.
As the host and the center of this entire network, Shinji couldn't avoid attention for even a second.
Studio executives from Tsuburaya approached him to discuss next year's projects.
Talent agents from Type-Moon's circle came to confirm whether he'd cast their actors again.
Others—more akin to entertainment producers from companies like Johnny's—wanted to book Shinji for variety shows or guest appearances.
He handled each conversation with patient precision, agreeing to what he could and letting them schedule accordingly.
As time marched closer to the era he remembered, Shinji knew one truth better than anyone—in the entertainment world, hype and visibility were everything.
If he wanted his films to stay relevant, a few talk shows and headline appearances were no longer optional—they were strategy.
And Shinji Matou, veteran and time traveler both, understood the game perfectly.
Meanwhile, the other star of the evening—naturally—was Ryougi Shiki.
Wearing an elegant, high-end kimono, she shone brightly amidst the crowd, her laughter genuine and infectious.
Anyone could see how happy she was.
Whether that joy came from stepping into her first true moment of stardom, or simply from knowing she wouldn't have to spend another week drenched in fake rainwater—who could say?
Either way, Shiki was clearly moving toward success. Perhaps even toward becoming a winner in life.
Shinji couldn't help but wonder if she already had someone in mind to surpass —maybe Matsushima Nanako, the golden idol of Japanese drama; maybe the Morning Musume girls, still reigning over the idol scene; or perhaps even Arturia, Type-Moon's own shining heroine from Fate/Stay Night.
For a pure newcomer like Shiki, catching up to those stars wouldn't be easy.
But without a goal, she'd never find her direction at all.
And Shinji wanted her to have that direction—not just for her own sake, but because it would let him plan her career path.
The film hadn't even premiered yet, and he was already thinking ahead—about how to grow the leading actress's fame after it did.
Was that arrogance born from his recent streak of success? Or the quiet confidence of someone who knew the future all too well?
Either way, Shinji Matou welcomed the end of 2006 in a warm, glittering room filled with laughter, music, and the steady hum of opportunity.
<+>
If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest posted chapter, please go to my Patreon[1]
Current Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 363: Fate/Apocrypha Teaser Premieres[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/145877654?collection=31097[3]
https://www.patreon.com/collection/31097?view=expanded[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/31097?view=expanded
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/145877654?collection=31097
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/145877654?collection=31097
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/31097?view=expanded