Chapter 107: The Premiere of "Fate Zero" (7)
"Uh, why is Kiritsugu Emiya acting so out of character with Saber? Aren't they supposed to be Master and Servant?"
"Yeah, this might cause problems if it continues..."
"It would've been fun if Kiritsugu summoned that Archer instead, hahaha!"
"Why not Rider? Summoning those two would be more interesting than Saber, hahaha!"
The audience at the scene made irresponsible comments about the movie's scenes. Indeed, if Kiritsugu Emiya had summoned the other two arrogant kings, there might have been internal conflict before the official battle even started.
As the plot unfolded, Kiritsugu's vulnerable side gradually exposed itself to the audience, leaving them uncertain whether this cold-blooded magician killer was a naive or a ruthless realist.
Yet, it's precisely this conflicting portrayal that accentuated Kiritsugu Emiya's character, endearing him to many viewers.
Meanwhile, as Caster forcefully attacked Einzbern Castle, the plot of "Fate/Zero" unfolded once again.
The subsequent plot can be summarized into three storylines: the battle between Saber and Caster, the fight between Kayneth and Kiritsugu Emiya, and the confrontation between Irisviel and Kotomine Kirei.
Firstly, the battle between Saber and Caster satisfied the audience with its adventurous scenes, but aside from outrage over Caster's wanton slaughter, there wasn't much emotional investment until Lancer suddenly joined the fray, prompting a reaction from fans of the Lancer x Saber pairing.
On the other hand, the confrontation between Irisviel and Kotomine Kirei appeared rather mundane. While still filled with calculations and reversals, it was merely a battle at the level of ordinary humans, failing to excite the audience much, although some were surprised by Irisviel's unexpected resilience.
In contrast, the longest and most epic battle undoubtedly unfolded between Kiritsugu Emiya and Kayneth, the magical duel eagerly anticipated by the mages of the Imperial Mage Academy!
...
"Innate Time Control, Double Acceleration!"
Instantly, as Kiritsugu Emiya used this skill with subtitles explaining it to dodge Kayneth's mystic code, the entire plaza erupted with excitement among the mages watching.
"Did you see that?! It's actually the ability to manipulate time! By severing the connection between the inner and outer worlds of the body, one can accelerate their own time independently. It's incredible that such a dangerous magic can be realized..."
"I never expected Kiritsugu Emiya, who seems the most unconventional, to possess such a unique skill belonging to magicians. And it's time manipulation?"
"Time magic has always been an unexplored territory, hasn't it? Has anyone in reality ever mastered the ability to alter time?"
"I don't think so. The only similar mage I've heard of is the pioneer of teleportation magic, but even with the power of spatial transformation, he couldn't grasp the mysteries of time. If such an ability exists in reality, it would be too much like cheating..."
"Yeah, although I'd really like to have the ability to pause time."
"Pause time? What would you do?"
"What's with that look? If I could pause time, I'd definitely give you a hundred punches first!"
As the students' discussions veered off track as usual, the battle between Kiritsugu Emiya and Kayneth continued on screen. Even veteran mages, steeped in the ways of magic for so long, learned many things they hadn't noticed before from this battle.
"Interesting. Using water flow control on mercury, such a highly malleable liquid, to create a unique magic. It's truly an innovative idea. Of course, with so much mercury, ordinary water attribute mages couldn't afford it..."
"I actually think Kiritsugu Emiya's completely unconventional fighting style is quite creative. After all, mages aren't required to stand still and cast spells. Wouldn't it be cooler and broaden our horizons to fight like warriors or assassins, using magic as an assist?"
"True, but I don't think Kiritsugu Emiya is Kayneth's match. That Mystic Code, Marrow of the Moon Spirit is just too insane, combining offense and defense, and even having a self-regulation system. It feels like it's fake."
"It's supposed to be fake, isn't it? This is a movie after all. Let's just continue watching. With Kiritsugu Emiya looking so confident, he must have some tricks up his sleeve. Let's wait for the twist later."
"... "
Soon, as the discussion spread, the battle between Kiritsugu Emiya and Kayneth reached its climax. Facing Kayneth's complete rage, Kiritsugu Emiya simply met his attacks with absolute confidence and used his last magic bullet to end Kayneth on the spot!
Seeing Kayneth fall, the audience didn't even realize what had happened. To them, Kiritsugu Emiya seemed like he was cheating, instantly defeating Kayneth out of nowhere.
Until the movie inserted a flashback of Kiritsugu Emiya crafting the Origin Bullets, the audience gradually began to grasp the situation and fell into contemplation, or rather, confusion...
At the top of the tower, the several great mages who had been quietly watching the movie couldn't sit still when they saw this scene.
As they recalled the previous scenes, the great mage who had previously analyzed the Holy Grail War rationally quickly said, "Origin? What is that? I've never heard of such a concept."
Similarly, most of the great mages also expressed bewilderment, unable to understand the meaning of the so-called Origin.
However, among the group of great mages, a seemingly inconspicuous female mage, surprised but composed, slowly said, "Is this movie really created by that Durin Edward? Why would he know about the concept of Origin..."
"Do you know?"
This time, even Dean Hohenheim showed an interested expression, as he hadn't been involved in all areas of magical research, so it was natural not to know certain things.
To this, the female great mage replied, "Dean, as you know, I specialize in mental magic. In our studies on souls, the most unavoidable aspect is human instinctual impulses, or what we call 'chaotic impulses.' It seems that everyone is born with different personalities. This deterministic concept is something our field of soul studies has always rejected. But it seems that the world has predetermined such causality. All life seems to have a certain direction from its inception, and then it inevitably develops in that direction. For humans, this directionality manifests as a primal impulse. Even though postnatal personality and intelligence can suppress this primal instinct, for humans with strong magical talent, this instinct becomes even more powerful."
"It's like people with an affinity for water tend to be more gentle, wind-affiliated mages are more carefree, fire-affiliated individuals have naturally hot tempers... All things are born with their primitive impulses. Based on this foundation, our research leads to the concept of Origins. Since Origin is determined at the generation of the soul, it serves as the absolute command at the core of all things. As long as the soul remains intact, even if it undergoes rebirth, it cannot change. Similarly, it deeply affects the elemental affinity inherent in mages at birth."
"In our discipline of mental magic, we've studied this for hundreds of years, but due to the lack of substantial evidence, it has never been widely disseminated or discussed in public lectures. I'm curious, how did this kid Durin come to know about this?"
Upon hearing her words, Hohenheim also appeared somewhat surprised, or rather, hearing this theory for the first time.
Suddenly, he appeared curious and combined it with the movie, saying, "So, Kiritsugu Emiya's Origin is [Severance] and [Integration], so he naturally possesses this chaotic impulse, and because he's a magician, this impulse is amplified. Eventually, it even created a special weapon that can affect other magicians—the Origin Bullets?"
"Didn't that woman, who has no apparent connection with Kiritsugu Emiya, say it? These bullets will manifest Kiritsugu Emiya's 'Origin' in those struck by them. The struck magician will be influenced by the 'Origin' in the bullet, causing their magical circuits to be severed and haphazardly reconnected, resulting in complete failure. For magicians, it's a particularly malicious weapon. No wonder this man is called the Magician Killer or Magus Killer."
Because mages in this world also have magical circuits as organs, those present easily understood the setting of the story.
Yet, despite this, the discussion about Origin Bullets and Origins continued to spark intense debate among these great mages. After all, such discussions about the essence of the soul were extremely rare. Most magicians tended to focus more on changing the outside world and gaining power, rarely turning their attention back to self-exploration.
"I never expected the human soul to have such mysteries. Wait, could it be that until now, no seventh-tier mage has been born because we've been too focused on external feedback, neglecting the exploration of the self?!"
Instantly, with Hohenheim's words, the great mages present seemed stunned, as if struck by lightning, staring blankly ahead with various thoughts flashing through their minds...
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