Chapter 101: The Premiere of "Fate Zero" (Part 1)
In the screening room, most of the audience had already taken their seats, eagerly anticipating the movie since last night and anxiously awaiting the appearance of the screen on the distant white wall. Various sounds echoed in the room.
Durin sat quietly in the best seat he could find, closed his eyes, and waited for the movie to begin. However, before he could even rest for a moment, he noticed several familiar figures taking seats behind him.
"Oh, is this the cinema? It's my first time here, and it feels quite atmospheric..."
"No, no, no... Didn't I tell Your Majesty not to use that title? We sneaked out this time, you know..."
"Dad... Daddy, this thing called popcorn is really good..."
The voices from behind made Durin's eyebrows twitch. Turning around, he saw none other than a certain Imperial General, His Majesty the Emperor, and the Emperor's young daughter...
"Um, if I'm not mistaken, are you all here for an outing?"
With a trembling voice, Durin spoke, only to realize that seated in front of him was none other than General Wilhelm and His Majesty the Emperor, who chuckled and said, "I'm just accompanying His Majesty to watch a movie."
"A movie...?"
Durin looked skeptical. After all, if news got out that the Emperor had disappeared from the imperial castle, it would surely cause chaos. Normally, if the Emperor left the castle, it would shake the entire royal and noble circles. If the Emperor really came out openly, the cinema entrance would probably already be surrounded by the knight's order.
Realizing this, Wilhelm also understood that his explanation was weak and hastily added, "Ahem, who's the one who gave His Majesty that unique magical device for long-distance communication last time? It would have been difficult for him to come out otherwise, but with me outside to pick him up, a single phone call, is it called a phone? Anyway, it can get His Majesty out of the castle..."
"Uh, it's my fault..."
Unexpectedly, the old general, despite his age, was quite adept at shifting blame.
Durin showed a hint of helplessness, but he didn't pay much attention. After all, his original intention in creating the movie was to give everyone the right to pursue entertainment, even His Majesty the Emperor.
And seeing Durin seemingly acquiescing to his presence, Emperor Hubbard, who had been observing the youth, showed an appreciative expression. Just as he was about to say something, the light of the movie gradually appeared on the white wall in front of him.
"Oh, finally started?"
"Hurry up, my snacks are almost digested."
"Anyone up for a second viewing? I've already got my ticket!"
In an instant, various voices vanished. This time, the latest invention of video transmission alchemy device by Durin and Scar began broadcasting "Fate Zero" simultaneously in all the cinemas across the empire as well as in the Mage Tower.
Soon, with the slow emergence of a vast white world on the screen, the story of "Fate Zero" officially began.
...
"The lady has given birth."
Almost abruptly, starting from the maid's joyful call for Kiritsugu Emiya, the story's prologue unfolded.
The main theme of the scene was the dialogue between Irisviel and Kiritsugu, holding their newborn child.
Though it appeared to be a heartwarming moment of a child's birth, it was evident that the atmosphere displayed by the newly become parents was far from that of a normal couple welcoming a new life. Rather than a scene of embracing a new life, it seemed more like the passing of an old one.
Sure enough, when Kiritsugu said, "Iris, one day I will put you in mortal danger," everyone immediately realized that this was not a heartwarming story. Although the setting of the story might have hinted at its potential brutality from the trailer and the viewing manual, it was only when such a plot actually unfolded that the audience completely abandoned all their previous fantasies.
Soon, as the audience watched the prologue with confusion, not knowing how the story would unfold next, when Irisviel uttered the key phrase "Holy Grail War" for the first time, almost everyone immediately realized that the real plot was about to unfold.
At the same time, still shadowed by the intense scenes of "Goblin Slayer" from last time, the audience was almost prepared for the possibility of intense visuals at any moment.
However, contrary to their expectations, the initial plot of "Fate Zero" continued to focus on exposition. Watching the head of the Tohsaka family and Father Kotomine engage in a dialogue about the setting of the Holy Grail War, most of the audience felt bewildered and some even began yawning. After all, this mundane narrative was not what they had hoped for. Instead of watching a few rough men bantering, they wanted to see the golden-haired female knight who appeared in the trailer!
Finally, when this segment of the plot concluded, the audience was disappointed to find that the movie still did not directly delve into the theme of the Holy Grail War.
The scene shifted to a man named Matou Kiriya, who, while chatting with his past childhood friend, now the wife of Tokiomi Tohsaka, unexpectedly learned that their daughter had been adopted by the Matou family from Tokiomi. He immediately returned to his own family and began negotiations with the head of the Matou family, an old man.
Honestly, if it weren't for the foundation laid by the previous movie and trailer, most of the audience would have been discouraged by this boring and lengthy prologue. Many were lost in the fog of this portion of the plot, with some even using the "restroom" more than once. However, they ultimately stayed because they didn't want to waste the opportunity to watch the movie.
It could be said that the long and tedious prologue of "Fate Zero" made it unbearable for most of the audience. Despite the exquisite visuals and the actors' performances, most people were disengaged from the plot. Only the tragic fate of Sakura Matou managed to elicit some emotional response from the audience. However, due to the majority's inability to connect with the story, even this plotline failed to evoke much feedback.
This was something that Chase had advised Durin against during filming, but the latter ultimately had no intention of making changes, sticking to this gradual and sequential filming approach. The end result was this extensive prelude that was difficult for the average viewer to endure.
But ultimately, the prelude couldn't last forever. With the conclusion of the subplot about Waver, the plot finally arrived at the segment about the summoning of Heroic Spirits depicted in the trailer. This managed to revive the spirits of most of the audience, who had become thoroughly disappointed with the movie and were on the verge of falling asleep.
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