"A single family ended up producing two children with extremely high magical potential. But according to the rules of magi, only one of them is allowed to inherit magical knowledge. The other must live a mundane life," Tokiomi said slowly.
That was the reason he had adopted Sakura into the Matou family.
A daughter living an ordinary and happy life was worthless to him. But Sakura, in the Matou household, had a chance to learn their magecraft and become a magus. Even if that process meant enduring unimaginable suffering, it was all worth it.
For Kariya, however, this was unacceptable.
This is the iconic scene in 'Fate/Zero' known as "It's All Tokiomi's Fault," the beginning of the narrative's descent.
That said, we shouldn't completely misunderstand Tokiomi either.
At the very least, he cared for his family. In his imagination, Sakura's time in the Matou household would involve enduring hardship in magical studies—just the usual suffering of tough lessons. He likely never imagined the Matou family had degenerated to the point of using insect magecraft. Once a household on par with the Tohsaka family, Tokiomi couldn't have imagined that Zouken Matou had fallen so far, retaining none of the dignity of a true magus, turning into something utterly grotesque.
As for Kariya's later tragic end, a lot of it was his own fault, too. Many things could have been resolved with a few clear words, but in this show, he said nothing—just left his enemies guessing.
"Trivial... that warm moment between mother and daughter—was that just trivial to this man?" Matou Kariya's eyes turned wild.
Even if Tokiomi lost the Holy Grail War, there was still Rin. If Rin failed, then there was Sakura.
That was Tokiomi's plan.
"You bastard... You want them to kill each other?" Matou Kariya went mad.
"I won't forgive you! You filthy magi!"
The plot of 'Fate/Zero' had now entered chaos.
Frankly, most viewers still didn't fully understand the magi's so-called pride and honor after watching this episode, but that didn't stop them from thoroughly enjoying it.
Episode 7's ratings settled at 9.81%, peaking at 10.45%.
Not only was it the top performer in the spring season, but it also completely crushed the other three major dramas.
"It's over again? So short, so short, so short!"
"Damn, is this because Teacher Jing Yu didn't have enough production funding?"
"Another lonely week ahead…"
"Look, we're already at Bluebeard by episode 7. Don't tell me 'Fate/Zero' won't finish until a second season."
"Very likely!"
"The more episodes, the better. Just please release them faster. It's already airing on video platforms—stop with the one-episode-per-week torture. Drop five, six, seven, eight at a time!"
"I wouldn't celebrate too soon. Something about this show feels dangerous."
"Dangerous? What do you mean?"
"It has that dark, disturbing vibe. I don't think it's going to have a happy ending. It's probably another one of those infamous, tragic finales."
"Shut up. You people are just traumatized. I trust Teacher Jing Yu. After all, in 'Clannad,' he brought back Nagisa and Tomoya's daughter, Ushio. That proves he's a creator with love in his heart."
"Exactly! Don't go spreading negativity. If you want to smear Teacher Jing Yu, no chance."
"We're not falling for your trolling again."
Jing Yu's gaze drifted away from the fan comments defending him.
Such adorable and devoted fans.
Too bad 'Fate/Zero' was about to betray all of their hopes.
From Episode 8 to the very end, every episode would be more painful than the last.
Until finally, every participant in the Holy Grail War is met with an empty, meaningless ending.
Just thinking about it made Jing Yu excited.
After all, in his previous life, he'd been devastated by this storyline. And what better way to heal from that pain than to share it with everyone else?
After reviewing the weekly report on 'Fate/Zero's' performance, Jing Yu turned to another document on his desk.
It was the shooting plan for two upcoming dramas: 'Natsume's Book of Friends' and 'Legal High.'
To be honest, Jing Yu didn't plan to act in either of them himself.
First, he didn't have the energy to take on more roles.
Second, he wasn't a good fit for either protagonist.
Take 'Legal High' for example—originally starring Masato Sakai as the eccentric lawyer Komikado.
That middle-aged man's image didn't suit Jing Yu at all. Despite his age, Jing Yu didn't have the same vibe as Komikado. They were miles apart.
As for 'Natsume's Book of Friends,' the lead is a middle school boy. Jing Yu could technically force himself into the role, but let's be real—he might pass as a flashy, pretty boy like Gilgamesh, but a gentle, refined teen? Not quite.
It'd just feel off. More importantly, Jing Yu didn't expect to have enough free time in the second half of the year. So he leaned toward letting others take those roles.
And so—
Jing Yu looked down at the actor selection sheet in his hand, dense with names of candidates for the lead roles.
All of them were fairly well-known young actors in the Great Zhou Dynasty entertainment scene.
The moment Cheng Lie released the news that Jing Yu was looking for a young male lead, they received over a hundred resumes from actors fitting the bill the very next day.
"Not bad at all!" Jing Yu squinted slightly as he reviewed them.
He started marking the ones that looked promising.
Actors for roles like Natsume were easy to find. But finding someone who could play Komikado? Much harder.
He needed charm, a comedic edge, yet also the ability to command respect when serious. And the acting chops had to be top-tier.
As the creator of the Great Zhou's version of this show, Cheng Lie usually let Jing Yu make the final casting decisions.
But choosing Komikado's actor had Jing Yu genuinely torn.
Because in his past life, both 'Legal High' and the legendary drama 'Hanzawa Naoki' had the same lead actor—Masato Sakai.
And 'Hanzawa Naoki'...
If possible, Jingyu would love to bring that drama to life in this world, too. If he could find someone suitable for both of those lead roles, that would be ideal.
Two days later, BlueStar Media & Film Company, under Jing Yu's management, officially announced the greenlighting of his two new dramas.
Unlike the announcement that 'Fate/Zero' was being adapted into a game, this news sparked a much bigger emotional reaction.
Within a day, it had spread like wildfire across major film and TV forums in the Great Zhou.