Creating Anime In A Fantasy World

Chapter 167: Fate/Zero Episode Two Premieres! (Part 9)

The next part of the movie's plot shifted entirely to the perspective of Diarmuid’s Master, Kayneth.

After being struck by Kiritsugu Emiya’s Origin Bullet in their last encounter, Kayneth’s entire Magic Circuit had been destroyed, rendering him crippled.

At this moment, he arrived at the Fuyuki Church in a wheelchair.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Tonight's workload has been a bit much," said the church priest, Kirei Kotomine, with visible fatigue.

The aftermath of the battle at the Fuyuki River had caused significant disturbances, and even with the Church mobilizing in full force, it was difficult to suppress the incident quickly.

To this, Kayneth responded with a smile:

"It can’t be helped. The situation is dire, after all."

Although his tone was calm, Kayneth’s appearance was almost terrifying—he looked barely human anymore.

"Well then, Father. What is your decision regarding my request?"

"Lancer indeed played a crucial role in the operation against Caster. This has been confirmed in the reports from several observers," Kirei replied.

"Then I am qualified to receive a Command Seal, correct?"

"In regard to that, Lancer’s Master is entitled to receive the reward... but, Kayneth, I’m not sure whether you can still be considered a Master."

"For strategic reasons, I’ve temporarily entrusted the Command Seals to Sola, but the core of the contract with Lancer is still with me."

Hearing the conviction in Kayneth’s words, Kirei finally nodded and said:

"Very well. I acknowledge your qualification to receive a Command Seal. Now, Mr. Kayneth, please hold out your hand."

As he transferred the Command Seal to Kayneth, Kirei turned around and solemnly declared:

"Then I ask you to continue, as a Master, to fight a battle of honor—"

"Of course. Naturally."

Kayneth responded with a full smile—then suddenly pulled a pistol from beneath his wheelchair!

Bang!

The old priest didn’t even have a moment to react before collapsing to the floor.

With a chilling smile on his face, Kayneth muttered to himself:

"The situation is still against me... I absolutely cannot allow any other Master to receive another Command Seal."

With that, he calmly left the scene.

Afterwards, Kayneth returned to his base—and immediately saw Diarmuid.

However, Diarmuid had not returned with Sola. She had vanished mysteriously after the battle at the Fuyuki River.

Learning this, Kayneth flew into a rage and furiously berated Diarmuid.

His tirade was so harsh that even the audience couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable.

...

“Has Kayneth gone insane?”

“He’s probably mentally broken from the trauma.”

“Yelling at your own Servant in this state—if it were someone like Gilgamesh, he’d have already killed him on the spot.”

“Kayneth really doesn’t hold back... even though Priest Kirei was on the opposing side, shooting him so decisively was still shocking.”

“The mages in Fate/Zero really have no concept of morality.”

Such were the voices of the audience—most of them expressing contempt for Kayneth’s actions.

This was inevitable. After all, while Diarmuid's chivalry might be overly rigid, it was still admirable—he had long been a fan favorite among viewers. So when Kayneth lashed out at Diarmuid without any regard for right or wrong, his image took a huge hit.

Adding to that was his ruthless killing of Kirei Kotomine. Many who had once felt a degree of sympathy for Kayneth now found themselves completely turned against him.

Compared to the general audience, the mages from the Imperial Mage Academy were more sympathetic toward Kayneth.

After all, they understood all too well—if they were in Kayneth’s shoes, robbed of the ability to use magic, their lives as mages would essentially be over. It would be a devastating, almost unbearable blow.

“Kayneth really had no choice left. There's basically no way he can win the Holy Grail War now.”

“Honestly, in his current state, it might be better if he were dead. A mage who can't use magic... is no different from a cripple.”

“Kiritsugu’s Origin Bullet is just too cruel. I really hope such a terrifying thing doesn’t exist in real life. The idea of not being able to use magic would break any mage.”

“Ugh… pitiful though he may be, there’s always a reason for someone’s downfall. Let’s just hope he meets an ending he can accept…”

Such were the discussions among the mage viewers.

Just as people were speculating whether Diarmuid might finally snap and kill Kayneth, the film’s plot suddenly shifted again.

Artoria and Irisviel arrived at the location where Kayneth and Diarmuid were hiding out.

The two were puzzled by the scene of chaos before them, barely having time to grasp what had happened before Diarmuid appeared.

After a brief exchange, Diarmuid and Artoria began a direct battle. Both adhered to their own sense of knightly honor, clashing with skill and glory.

Saber even chose not to use her now-recovered left hand, to avoid any perception of unfairness.

If this were a battle from ancient times, this duel between knights might have been seen as an event full of honor and nobility. But in the modern Holy Grail War, such ideals came across as foolish and outdated.

As the battle erupted, a desperate Kayneth, trying to flee, suddenly picked up a paper slip that flew toward him.

—If you want your lover to live, stay silent. Turn around—

Kayneth's eyes widened at the message. Turning his head, he saw the figure of Kiritsugu Emiya in the dark—like a grim reaper—and the barrel of his gun pointed directly at Sola, Kayneth’s fiancée.

“It had to be him…”

Panicked, Kayneth caught a sheet of parchment that Kiritsugu tossed at him.

The words on it made him pale with fright.

“Self Geass Scroll…”

Kayneth understood immediately. 

This was the most binding kind of magical contract—only used for absolute, unbreakable agreements.

The terms Kiritsugu offered were simple: he would spare both Kayneth and Sola in exchange for Kayneth ordering Diarmuid to commit suicide.

Faced with the choice between life and death, Kayneth ultimately gave in.

With empty, lifeless eyes, he stared at the last remaining Command Seal on his right hand—and as Lancer’s Master, issued his final command.

Snap!

Without any warning, Diarmuid’s body was suddenly pierced by his own spear.

Everyone was stunned—not just the characters on screen, but the audience as well.

No one had been prepared for such a sudden turn of events.

“Ah…”

Diarmuid’s eyes widened as tears of crimson streamed down his face. On instinct, he turned to look behind him.

There stood Kayneth, Sola, and Kiritsugu.

“You people… how could you…”

Diarmuid let out a scream filled with despair:

“Is winning… all that matters to you!? Is the Grail really worth this!? You even trampled on my… my one true wish… Do none of you… feel the slightest shame!?”

“Unforgivable... I will never forgive you! You who chase after fame and power, trampling on the dignity of knights... let my blood stain your dream! May the Holy Grail be filled with curses! May your dreams bring only disaster! Remember the wrath of Diarmuid Ua Duibhne when you fall into the depths of hell!”

Diarmuid’s final roar shook everyone to their core.

At that moment, even the audience fell into a stunned silence. No one had expected Kiritsugu Emiya to use such cruel methods in his pursuit of victory.

What they didn’t know was—it wasn’t over. The true horror was yet to come.

“—So now, you're bound by the contract, right?”

Faced with Kayneth’s last shred of hope, Kiritsugu nodded.

“Yes. The contract is binding. I can no longer kill you.”

The moment Kiritsugu finished his sentence, a hail of bullets shot from the distance, riddling Kayneth’s body with holes.

“I can't—but that only applies to me.”

Kiritsugu's cold, emotionless response left the audience utterly stunned.

“...Ki...ll... me... just kill me...”

As Kayneth clung to life, writhing in pain that could only be described as hellish, Kiritsugu didn’t even glance at him. He merely replied calmly:

“Sorry, the contract forbids me from killing you.”

In the end, it was Artoria who stepped forward and ended Kayneth’s suffering.

Thus, the Lancer team was completely annihilated—and in turn, the wedge between Kiritsugu and Artoria grew deeper than ever.

The movie theater was silent.

The audience stared at Kiritsugu Emiya, cold and unfeeling, a chill running down their spines.

“That was way too much. Killing the Servant should’ve been enough, right? Why did he have to kill Kayneth and his fiancée too?”

“Yeah, seriously. Even though using a hostage to force Kayneth to order Lancer's suicide was already horrible, it was at least understandable. But killing them after that? Why?”

“Kiritsugu was way too heartless. Doesn’t he have any emotion at all?”

“What does he even want? If Kiritsugu is really trying to achieve some kind of justice through the Holy Grail... I don’t buy it anymore.”

“Lancer’s death was just too miserable. So far, he’s probably had the worst death out of all the Servants.”

“This is just… a tragedy.”

“…”

Various voices rang out, and the general consensus among the audience was that Kiritsugu's methods were excessively cruel—unnecessarily so in the case of Kayneth and Sola.

Of course, not everyone felt this way. Some viewers argued that in a life-or-death war like the Holy Grail War, eliminating all threats completely—including any potential comeback—was a necessary strategy.

After all, someone like Kayneth could conceivably obtain new Command Seals again, just like Kirei Kotomine did.

Still, those opinions were in the minority. Most viewers openly condemned Kiritsugu for his ruthlessness, feeling that his actions were too despicable to justify.

On the other side of the theater, the Emperor and many of the Empire’s knights were equally shaken by the scenes playing out on screen.

“That’s a truly unexpected course of action,” said Emperor Hubbard. “While not exactly wrong—and certainly efficient—his methods are far too blatant. This kind of behavior can easily shake the morale of one’s subordinates. Kiritsugu Emiya appears to lack the temperament a leader should have.”

General Wilhelm nodded in agreement. 

Like the Emperor, he viewed Kiritsugu’s actions from a leadership perspective.

But Wycliffe had a much more direct take on Kiritsugu:

“I agree with Kiritsugu Emiya’s method. It’s highly effective—maximum results with minimal sacrifice. But I completely disagree with his goal. To stop war by committing acts of slaughter is no better than sending soldiers to die just to win a battle. In the end, you gain nothing. Even if he ends the war and claims victory, who would ever be grateful for his cruelty? All he earns is infamy!”

“But if the Holy Grail truly grants any wish, then Kiritsugu’s actions might ultimately benefit humanity,” General Wilhelm offered.

Wycliffe, however, replied coldly:

“That’s hard to say. When a pure realist like Kiritsugu Emiya sets out to claim something as idealistic—or even fantastical—as the Holy Grail, the story was already doomed to tragedy from the start.”

“Yes,” Emperor Hubbard added. “It’s like introducing a ruthless, calculating criminal mastermind into a fairytale meant to symbolize beauty and hope. The moment the creator designed such a character, the entire story was destined to fall apart—beauty and hope no longer have a place in it.”

At the same time, back at the Imperial Mage Academy, the mages were also engaged in a heated discussion about what had just transpired:

“Kayneth was way too naive. He got tricked by such a basic tactic.”

“Couldn’t be helped. He really had no other choice at that point. There was virtually no chance of survival—he had to put his faith in Kiritsugu’s mercy.”

“Self Geass Scroll… something like that actually exists in real life, doesn’t it?”

“They are called Soul Contracts and have a pretty similar effect. They come from the chaos land, I think? In truth, only a handful of people are crazy enough to use them.”

“Aside from Lancer team. there’s only four teams left vying for the Grail.”

“But what is Kirei Kotomine up to? He shouldn’t even be a Master anymore, right?”

“Let’s just wait and see, I’m more curious now about what other insane things Kiritsugu might still pull off.”

“…”

Their conversations buzzed with curiosity and excitement. Even though everyone knew they probably wouldn’t get to see the real ending just yet, all they could do was silently hope this episode would go on a little longer.