I'm Not A Master, I'm A Director (Patreon)

Chapter 73: The King and His Subjects

When Kawachi returned to the theater, he heard the intermittent sobs around him.

Judging from the voices, it seemed that several people were crying there.

"Knight Diarmuid's death was so tragic!"

"He was such an upright knight, why couldn't he have a good ending!"

"I'm so unwilling, extremely unwilling!"

"Yeah, yeah. Although getting the Holy Grail wouldn't necessarily lead to a good ending, at least let him fulfill his wish!"

...

"What's going on? Why are they crying?"

Listening to the comments of the female audience members on both sides of the corridor, the old film critic was puzzled by their tears.

Could it be that these viewers finally realized that this movie was too terrible and were crying over their ticket money?

Although this was the scene Kawachi most hoped to see, just thinking about it made him realize it was impossible.

Even if such a thing really happened, these unqualified viewers would only rush to the ticket counter to protest.

"What happened?"

Kawachi whispered to the person next to him as he sat back in his seat.

"A character died... What was his name? Whatever. Anyway, it's just a pretty boy who died, and his death was so sentimental that those who only care about looks and not substance started crying."

A film critic snorted coldly, his words full of disdain.

"Shouting and screaming to death, it's simply overly vulgar. If you really want to portray the essence of death, you should use acting! Use your eyes! Use your expressions! This kind of unskilled yelling is the most meaningless acting technique!"

Kawachi nodded in agreement. "Who says otherwise? But audiences just eat it up."

If Shinji heard the conversation between these two film critics, he would surely scoff.

Although he himself was a staunch advocate of the principle "act, don't speak," he understood better that in some crucial scenes, stirring dialogue was necessary to engage the audience's emotions.

Why else would blockbuster Hollywood movies like 'Independence Day' or 'Pacific Rim' have enthusiastic speeches before the battle?

Using only acting could work, but it not only slows down the pace of the movie but also risks being misunderstood by the audience.

Commercial films need to convey their intended emotions in the most direct way possible, rather than being savored slowly like art films.

From the sobbing of those young fans, Shinji could clearly see that his ideas had been accurately conveyed to the audience.

However, these people were crying a bit too early. Kiritsugu's ruthless decision to force Lancer into suicide didn't bring him the outcome he desired, but rather, he was already set up to be shot by Maiya.

One could only say that Kayneth, who had spent his life in an ivory tower, was too naive. Playing mind games was simply not a match for Kiritsugu, the assassin who had licked blood off his blade.

In the original novel plot, Arturia, in order to end Kayneth's unbearable suffering, took the initiative to decapitate him.

This point wasn't directly depicted in the anime series; Arturia was only shown to make a swing.

In Shinji's live-action version, to maintain character integrity and for rating considerations, he chose to have Maiya shoot Kayneth and Shirley.

However, Shinji still planned to shoot a scene where Arturia helped Kayneth put on his noose, intending to include it in the extended version.

Shinji had already decided that the extended version of Fate/Zero would be rated R-18, to more accurately depict the "love scenes" from Nasu's original work.

"Is this the shared twisted taste of creators?" Shinji pondered quietly, stroking his chin.

At this moment, the tragic drama of Lancer and his Master had come to an end on the big screen.

Although Arturia didn't help Kayneth "save face," she couldn't accept Kiritsugu's actions.

Facing Saber's reproach that he was a twisted magus, Kiritsugu merely expressed that war had no rules, and his goal was to use the Holy Grail to save the world, so what difference did it make whether he fought with righteousness or evil?

Kiritsugu's philosophy of pursuing absolute results was completely different from Arturia principles. Despite maintaining their contract, there was a permanent scar between them that could never be healed.

For the entire Holy Grail War, Kayneth's death was like the sacrifice of the first player to be eliminated in a chicken dinner game.

His death held no special significance but marked the beginning of a brutal war.

Next, the audience witnessed the downfall of various characters in Fate/Zero: Tokiomi Tohsaka betrayed by his own student and dying on his own carpet; Maiya killed by Lancelot while protecting Irisviel; Irisviel strangled to death by Kiritsugu after denying his ideology.

Although there was a thrilling motorcycle and car chase scene that got the audience's blood pumping, it didn't change the increasingly melancholic tone of the movie.

In the end, amidst thick black fog, the Fourth Holy Grail War reached its final night, and the remaining characters faced their last battles.

Gilgamesh vs. Iskandar, Arturia vs. Lancelot, and Kiritsugu vs. Kirei.

The three battles almost started simultaneously, but each displayed a completely different style.

First was the battle between Kirei Kotomine and Kiritsugu Emiya.

The fight between these two Masters could be said to be the most ordinary of the three, even worse than an average magus's battle.

There were no flashy spells, only the simplest applications of magic, and ruthlessly aiming for each other's vulnerabilities.

But the real clash between these two wasn't in their skills but in their ideologies and philosophies.

Although ordinary viewers found this battle very exciting, fully showcasing Kiritsugu and Kirei's fighting styles, it was no less thrilling than the other two battles.

But for magus, this battle wasn't impressive at all; they wouldn't admit that these two twisted magus were true magicians.

Compared to Kirei and Kiritsugu, magus were more interested in the battle between King of Conquerors and King of Heroes, as both sides displayed their strongest trump cards - their EX-rank Noble Phantasms: Ionioi Hetairoi and Enuma Elish.

Unfortunately, due to the properties of their Noble Phantasms, Iskandar couldn't use his army to overwhelm Gilgamesh's treasury.

As powerful as the Reality Marble was, against Enuma Elish, it was just another world to be divided.

The sky fell, the earth shattered, and everything returned to nothingness.

In the endless darkness, only Gilgamesh's Sword of Rupture, shining brightly, remained.

Its radiance, like the dawning star illuminating a new world, proclaimed the end of King of Heroes' domination.

On the bridge, knowing the outcome, Iskandar bid farewell to Waver.

"Waver Velvet, are you willing to serve me as my subject?"

This question touched the boy's heart, and he responded tearfully to his king's inquiry.

"You are my king. I swear to serve you and to die for you. Please guide me forward and let me see the same dream."

Hearing Waver's oath, the domineering King of Conquerors smiled faintly.

"Revealing the dream is the king's duty. Witnessing the end of the dream and passing it down for eternity is your duty as my subject."

Before the final charge, the King of Conquerors commanded firmly.

"Survive, Waver. Witness all of this, pass down the way of survival as a king, and the majestic images of Iskandar's gallop!"

After losing his army, everyone knew Iskandar had lost the battle. However, the King of Conquerors didn't retreat. Instead, he charged alone towards the golden king.

The romanticism and sentimentality, understood only by men, resonated with the audience in the theater.

"Now that's a real man!"

Many male viewers exclaimed.

"Although I prefer Arturia, it would be a great dream to fight alongside Iskandar and conquer the world."

Even though Iskandar ultimately failed, seeing his satisfied smile before disappearing, no one would consider him a loser.

It was a mutual understanding between men.

On the other side, Saber confronted her former subordinate, Lancelot.

Compared to the clash between the Noble Phantasms of the other two kings, this battle at the round table was a pure test of martial skills.

For Saber, this battle was a dual test of psyche and physiology. Berserk Lancelot surpassed her in abilities, and his identity made her feel somewhat helpless.

Fortunately, weakened by his weakening body, Lancelot's engine could no longer sustain his Berserker form.

At the moment when the Master died, there was a pause, and Saber seized the opportunity to pierce Lancelot's body.

The outcome of this battle was not perfect. Saber wanted to tell Lancelot that he was her loyal knight, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

When Lancelot regained his sanity, he wanted to tell Arturia that she was the best king, as every knight of the Round Table thought.

Unfortunately, the conversation that was supposed to thaw the frosty relationship between ruler and subject never happened.

Before Lancelot could speak, he disappeared.

"Is that really what you think?"

Listening to Lancelot's unspoken monologue on the screen, Arturia sitting below asked with fading interest.

"Of course!"

Lancelot nodded vigorously, placing his hand on his chest, and spoke with a solemn vow.

"My king, you are the perfect king. I have never regretted becoming your knight!"

"Is that so... That's good to hear."

Hearing Lancelot's words, Arturia gently curved her lips upward.

"Hey, Master."

Arturia called out softly.

"Yeah?"

"Perhaps you are the Holy Grail that will fulfill our wishes?"

"It's best if you think that way." Shinji laughed, "Then I'll be the Dream Master of the Heroic Spirits from now on."

"But before that!"

Gilgamesh took out the Chains of Heaven and wrapped them around Shinji's arm.

"Shinji, you made this country girl's dream come true. What about the promise you made to me? Don't tell me you forgot!"

"I got it, stop pulling me, you're going to tear my arm off."

Shinji let out a cry similar to Gilgamesh's lamentation in the UBW ending.

"Damn Clairvoyance!"