"Aniki."
"Hello, Aniki."
A strange scene was unfolding on a bustling commercial street in Tokyo.
A group of delinquents, dressed in various styles and covered in tattoos, were bowing to a boy younger than all of them, calling him "Aniki."
Eichi had already gotten used to it, as he was the one they were calling "Aniki."
Although he had told them many times not to use that title, these delinquents, lost in their own fantasies, simply would not listen.
"It's you guys. How have you been lately?"
"We're doing great, thank you, Aniki!"
"No need to be so loud."
"Aniki, where are you headed?"
"I'm going to Eiling Film and Television."
"Perfect, I'm free. Let me drive Aniki there."
"Alright."
With that, Eichi got into the car.
The existence of delinquent youths had become common in Japan for some time. The economic collapse a few years prior caused many organizations to return to the black market, reviving old criminal groups.
More importantly, many young people were easily swayed by the so-called righteousness and Bushido spirit of these groups, leading them to imitate their behavior.
This resulted in a surge of delinquent youths throughout the country.
Eichi and Suguru's school had its fair share of them as well.
Would Eichi and Suguru be afraid when delinquents came looking for trouble?
Of course not. They simply responded in kind, defeating the small ones, then the bigger ones, and when the older ones showed up, they beat them too.
Even among Jujutsu Sorcerers, Eichi and Geto were strong. Without even using their Techniques, they could take on a hundred people just by reinforcing their physical abilities with Cursed Energy.
The result was that the two of them ended up subduing all the delinquents across several nearby streets.
Afterward, those same delinquents began pestering them, begging to follow them as their bosses.
Suguru wasn't interested, still dreaming of becoming a band's lead singer.
Eichi, however, gave in to impulse after repeated requests and agreed.
Maybe it was because, after his Rebirth, he wanted to live a more comfortable and stable life.
So, Eichi invested some money and selected a few dependable people to open several shops, assigning these energetic youths to work there.
When the shops first opened, many people assumed Eichi was just a naive rich kid and tried various schemes to swindle him.
However, Rabbit Escape, who had been secretly monitoring them, saw through all their tricks. Eichi quickly turned the tables, exposing those troublemakers in public and kicking them out of the group.
It turned out that most of these so-called delinquents weren't truly bad people. They were just lost for a while. Under Eichi's guidance, many turned into excellent employees, forming a small but capable core team. Although they lacked great ability, they provided Eichi with significant convenience in many small matters.
For instance, a portion of the shops' monthly profits gave Eichi an additional source of income besides exorcising Cursed Spirits.
And more importantly, most of the staff at Eiling Film and Television were recruited by them.
To summon a Heroic Spirit, Eichi needed to collect enough Illusion Power related to that Heroic Spirit.
However, Illusion Power doesn't appear out of thin air. That's why businesses like anime, film, and gaming were essential for Eichi to establish.
At this point, the small team that had once seemed insignificant unexpectedly revealed a vast network of useful connections for Eichi.
Most of these connections came from the parents of his delinquent followers.
They had long been worried about their children's situation but had no way to help, too burdened by work and overtime.
When Eichi appeared and guided their children back to the right path, giving them legitimate work, these parents were naturally overjoyed.
So, when they heard that their children's boss needed talent in the animation industry, they all began helping to look for people. On one hand, they wanted to thank Eichi; on the other, they hoped their children could earn more opportunities under his guidance.
Thanks to their help, the film and television company that Eichi initially thought would take months to build was up and running in just half a month.
With a car for transportation, Eichi soon arrived at the entrance of Eiling Film and Television.
As soon as he entered, a heated discussion reached his ears.
"I told you, the length isn't enough. We'll have to cut supporting character scenes if necessary."
"Ha, then why cut my part and not yours?"
Watching the spirited debate, Eichi nodded in satisfaction.
Very lively.
He then walked into the adjacent office.
"Director Yamaguchi, is the anime production plan complete?"
Eichi asked as soon as he entered.
"Ah, Young Master Eichi, please have a seat. I'll make you some tea."
Director Yamaguchi was currently leading the anime production team. He had previously worked at a large company, but after his boss lost all company funds investing in the bank a few years ago, the company had been half-dead due to financial collapse.
The core members of that anime production team, including the experienced Yamaguchi, had all been poached by Eichi.
Soon, a steaming cup of tea was placed in front of him.
Taking a sip, Eichi nodded.
Then, three project proposals were laid out before him.
After carefully reading the first one, Eichi frowned slightly.
Director Yamaguchi quickly explained the pros and cons of the proposal.
If they followed the first plan, Fate/stay night would run for 52 episodes, but the story would be somewhat chaotic.
This was because, when Eichi had first handed over the game script, he had asked the director to try combining all routes into a single adaptation.
At the time, Eichi's idea was to showcase the charm of every Heroic Spirit within one anime, so that he could gather the phantom power of seven Heroic Spirits through a single project.
But reality proved he had been too greedy.
After reviewing all three proposals, Eichi made his decision.
"Let's produce it in two parts. The first part will follow the Fate route combined with UBW, made into a 26-episode anime. The second part will focus on the Sakura route."
In his original world, the 2006 Fate/stay night had been a classic Platonic love story, and it best embodied the theme of Fate/stay night.
The story presented a flawed beauty that lingered in memory, almost dreamlike in its artistry.
That was also why the 2006 version so easily turned viewers into die-hard Artoria fans.
However, the 2006 adaptation also had many flaws, the most important being poor production quality and shallow storytelling.
The production issue could be solved. The holidays were approaching, and if funds ran low, Eichi could always exorcise some Cursed Spirits for money. The storytelling depth, however, was more troublesome.
Although countless ideas and feedback from fans in his previous life had helped him perfect this world's Fate/stay night, the main storyline of the 2006 version was too short and lacked sufficient development.
That flaw could be perfectly complemented by the UBW route. The UBW route had excellent plot depth, though it couldn't match the 2006 version's dreamlike and unforgettable tone.
Combining both would create a perfect balance.
Eichi and Director Yamaguchi then began refining the new plan.
For example, how to portray Caster and Teacher Kuzuki's story concisely, achieving clarity and emotional impact within limited runtime.
The budget had to be used wisely. Every character deserved at least one beautiful highlight scene, and fight scene funding must never be cut.
Eichi knew that in later generations, many people became fans after being captivated by a single breathtaking scene or fight sequence.
Finally, after confirming the progress of the opening and ending themes and ensuring there were no issues, Eichi left Eiling Film and Television.
Next stop, the Institute of Eastern Folklore.
(To be continued.)
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