Chapter 239: Hideki Go: No Need for Tribute in This Kind of Situation
If regular moviegoers were busy marveling at the incredible and realistic special effects when Super 8 started screening, then the film industry insiders were busy analyzing the sophisticated techniques behind the effects and feeling a deep sense of defeat in the face of something so overwhelmingly brilliant that it seemed almost unbeatable.
However, there was yet another group of viewers whose reaction was very different from the two above: the magus.
The special effects that amazed, shocked, and baffled the average person were nothing noteworthy to magus. They saw through Shinji Matou's little tricks at a glance.
"Using the leyline to add special effects to the film screening… I can't believe Shinji Matou actually thought of that,"
Fujita sneered, a touch of boredom in his expression.
Any magus who passed their basic magic theory class could sense the faint connection between the theater and the local leyline.
Although it might take a lot of time for them to break down and analyze the spellwork and recreate the same effects, the general principle wasn't hard to guess.
And precisely because they understood, the magus found it unacceptable.
"What a waste."
Even though he was a fan of Shinji, Shibamatsu couldn't help but grumble, "Using the precious magical energy of a leyline for entertainment—does Shinji Matou have so much magic that he doesn't know what to do with it?"
In this era of dwindling mystery, magical energy was extremely important. Especially that from leylines, it was something everyone kept a close eye on.
Whether one could utilize it was one thing. But in an age where magical energy is vanishing, there are very few sources left apart from leylines.
To use something so precious just to entertain ordinary people? That was unthinkable to magus.
They couldn't make sense of it, so they were angry.
"You're all being so dramatic."
Watching her peers acting so out of touch, Kuonji Alice, self-proclaimed world's #1 Shinji Matou fan, decided it was time to speak up.
"Even if Sir Matou didn't use the leyline to project movies, could you actually make use of it?"
"Uh…" N
At her question, the young magus looked awkward.
Most magic related to leylines had already been lost. Even if they wanted to use the leyline's energy, they couldn't.
Why did so many magus sneak into Fuyuki City after Shinji Matou made Fate?
Because they all believed the Holy Grail system might be a new way to tap into leylines.
Even if they couldn't use the Grail to reach the Root, summoning a few Heroic Spirits sounded pretty great too~
But those magus were thoroughly beaten by the Heroic Spirits of Fuyuki City, and experienced first-hand just how reliable Heroic Spirit "security guards" could be.
The young magus present didn't know the full love-hate saga between Heroic Spirits and the would-be intruders of Fuyuki, but they did understand that leyline magic was extremely hard to use.
Alice looked around and continued,
"If no one else can use it anyway, then instead of letting the magical energy just fade away and go to waste, why shouldn't it be put to use?"
Outside of systems like the Greater Grail that collect and focus magic, most leylines naturally emit magical energy into the world nonstop.
"Who says it can't be used?" one young man muttered, unwilling to back down. "My family still uses leyline energy to maintain a protective barrier."
Alice shot him a look of disdain. "To keep out petty thieves? You'd be better off with a burglar alarm."
The guy turned away and went silent.
Because deep down, he felt the same way, many older-generation magus were obsessed with showing how different they were from ordinary people, always making flashy but ultimately useless "junk."
These people insisted on crafting the things that could be easily bought at the supermarket for a few bucks themselves in their workshops.
For example, Tohsaka Tokiomi's family had a communication device powered by gem-based magical energy.
This thing functioned like a one-to-one long-range walkie-talkie. Aside from being eavesdrop-proof, it had zero advantages compared to regular cell phones on the market.
Of course, it was somewhat useful for the Tohsaka family, considering they had a tendency to make even camcorders explode just by using them.
"Making all this flashy garbage not only has no benefit to society but also wastes precious magical energy that's already in short supply! So tell me, who's really wasting magic here?"
Alice stared hard at her group of friends as she scolded them.
Everyone quickly avoided her gaze, not daring to meet her eyes.
They understood her logic. But using magic to entertain ordinary people just felt like it stripped away their sense of superiority as magus.
"Tch. Bunch of insects."
Alice clicked her tongue in annoyance.
"Rather than letting you people waste magic like that, I'd rather see Sir Matou do something more interesting with it. Developing a film industry that applies magical technology—at least then more of the broke magus out there might finally get to live a decent life."
Aoko, standing nearby, tilted her head. "That sounds suspiciously like something Shinji himself would say."
"It is what Sir Matou said," Alice replied with admiration. "He mentioned it to me in an online chat the other day. He figured some magus might be unhappy with what he's doing, so he hoped I could steer public opinion a little in the right direction."
With stars in her eyes, she added, "He really is amazing, he even accounted for things like this."
This time it was Aoko's turn to snort in disdain.
"Tch. 'Benefit the magus community'? More like line his own pockets."
Aoko wasn't entirely wrong, though, as if it's cursed by the Counter Force itself, Shinji Matou's wallet was doomed to always be empty.
In contrast, ordinary moviegoers didn't have nearly as many complicated thoughts.
Take Li Ri'ang, for example. He was completely absorbed in the lifelike 3D visuals, watching the intense battle between Mebius and King Pandon with great excitement.
Even though the actors were different and the filming techniques had changed, Shinji still preserved the signature fighting style of the Ultra heroes from their TV series days.
This battle was no exception. Mebius fought quickly and aggressively, maybe even recklessly.
But he had no choice. The monster had appeared in the heart of the city, and countless people hadn't had time to evacuate because of work or school.
Mebius, ever mindful of humanity, could only fight in a way that limited the damage to the city, even if it meant using his own body to block several of King Pandon's fireballs.
Jokes about Ryuu Aihara aside, after getting scolded once, Mebius had carved this lesson into his soul.
It's impossible to completely avoid collateral damage, but he'd do everything within his power to protect the city!
"This Ultra guy really goes all in. He's taking hits head-on just to get in close and land a few punches."
The plot of Super 8 hadn't reached its emotional beats yet, so its energetic and upbeat tone made the movie feel light and fun for Li Ri'ang.
At this point, the people panicking on the ground didn't leave much of an impression on him, they are just the usual background extras you'd expect in any Ultraman series. Nothing out of the ordinary.
Instead of worrying about the people, Li Ri'ang figured he might as well focus on how this newcomer Ultraman, Mebius, was going to take down the monster.
These kinds of intense, blow-for-blow kaiju battles weren't something you could see every day.
"Hm... it'd be better if there was some wind, though. The 3D visuals and seat-rumbling are cool and all, but it still feels like something's missing."
Right after saying that, Li Ri'ang gave himself a slap on the mouth.
"Idiot, that would make it a 4D movie, wouldn't it? I'm such a dumbass. Still... I should look up this Ultraman's TV series tomorrow. This movie really makes me want to watch the show."
He sighed dramatically at the thought.
"Ugh, but I bet the fights and special effects in the TV version won't hold up after seeing something this ridiculously high-budget. After watching action scenes this polished, I'm not sure I'll be able to go back to standard tokusatsu."
As he was nitpicking, something on screen made him nearly jump out of his seat.
"What the hell?! Does the director have to be this cruel?!"
The camera had just shifted away from the battle between Mebius and King Pandon to a nearby skyscraper.
The two towering giants slammed into the building, which crumbled instantly. Unfortunately, right beneath it was a group of people who hadn't managed to escape through the emergency exit in time.
The collapsing structure came crashing down on them—and among those people was Aki Sakata, the wife of Ultraman Jack's human host, Hideki Go.
As a diehard fan of the Showa era Ultras, Li Ri'ang knew immediately: this was the director paying homage to Return of Ultraman.
But of all the things to pay homage to, why did it have to be that Aki Sakata scene?!
Everyone has childhood trauma. It varies by experience, sure—but there's one kind of trauma universally hated: the death of a beloved character.
In North America, one of the most dreaded examples is Spider-Man failing to save Gwen Stacy.
In East Asia, for many fans, it's the death of the Sakata siblings.
And regardless of what others felt, Showa-fan Li Ri'ang could not handle it.
After finally getting to see a movie where Hayata's daughter and Daigo were preparing for marriage, where Dan Moroboshi and Anne stayed together, where Hideki Go and Aki Sakata were a happy couple, and Hokuto & Minami had tied the knot...
In this story, where everyone had a perfect ending, where the whole Ultra fam had kids and happy homes—
They actually... seriously... did a homage like this?!
"Director, were you dropped on your head as a child?!"
Li Ri'ang let out a guttural, soul-deep scream.
Unfortunately, in this theater, pure Showa fans like him were a minority. His outcry didn't earn much sympathy from those around him.
Sure, Aki Sakata getting crushed made most viewers feel a twinge of sadness, but people unfamiliar with Return of Ultraman just thought it was a typical moment of crisis for the main cast, nothing too heavy.
Even the director didn't seem all that concerned about Aki Sakata's fate, as the movie quickly cut back to Mebius and King Pandon's fight.
Li Ri'ang was anxiously waiting for news about Aki Sakata, but the movie had other priorities: showing King Pandon's death first.
"Haaaah—!"
A streak of orange-yellow light cut through the sky—Mebius slashed through King Pandon with his energy blade, slicing the monster clean in two.
The crowd on screen, as well as the real-life audience, erupted in cheers. Everyone was thrilled at the Ultra's victory.
Even Daigo gave Mebius a thumbs-up in approval.
Mebius was just about to return the thumbs-up when suddenly, disaster struck.
A glass dome descended from above and trapped Mebius inside.
"It's Alien Hipporit!"
Li Ri'ang shouted out the name of the long-faced villain, a classic just like Dark Lugiel.
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