Chapter 166: The Premiere of Fate/Zero Chapter Two! (8)
"Oh my gosh, is Saber's Noble Phantasm really such an astonishing power?"
"What was that just now? It was so bright, I was almost blinded!"
"This is ridiculous! An Heroic Spirit's Noble Phantasm can actually have such terrifying power?"
"Is Caster really gone just like that? Was that his memory we just saw?"
"I get the feeling that behind Caster's seemingly insane actions, there's more to his story..."
"....."
Suddenly, a chorus of various discussions erupted in the movie theater.
Everyone was excitedly watching the scene on screen. Whether it was Artoria unleashing her Excalibur or the flashbacks of Gilles de Rais before his demise, people's hearts were filled with exhilaration.
The audience was completely captivated by the stunning battles and the magnificent special effects.
...
At the Imperial Mage Academy, the discussion among the mages was even more intense.
All the mages were passionately debating Artoria's final Noble Phantasm.
"What the heck was that just now? That looked like the highest level of Holy Light magic, didn't it?"
"Even a Pontiff-level Holy Light spell wouldn't be on this level..."
"Was that Durin who cast it? Since when did he have such advanced research in Holy Light magic? A spell of this level could qualify him as an Archmage, right?"
"Forget about that, I'm more curious how Saber in Fate/Zero can fire off something like that. Isn't she supposed to be a knight?"
"Who knows? But if knights in reality could pull off attacks like that, we wouldn't even need mages in war anymore. They'd be enough to breach any fortress on their own."
"That's way over the top."
"..."
Clearly, the mages were struggling to accept a plot that seemed to deliberately glorify the power of knights.
Although knights and mages are two professions that don't typically overlap, they're often compared by others.
With each having its own strengths, this leads to a mutual disdain: mages look down on the physical strength of knights, while knights dismiss mages for their unwillingness to fight on the front lines.
If the internet existed in this world, the flame wars between knights and mages would probably rival modern gender debates.
Of course, this is only the opinion of average mages. The Archmages at the top of the Mage Tower clearly wouldn't bother with such trivial professional rivalries.
At this moment, the Archmages were discussing something entirely different from ordinary folks.
"What do you think? How did that brat Durin manage to cast a Holy Light spell of that caliber? Did he secretly get help from the Church?"
At Dean Hohenheim's comment, the other Archmages frowned in response.
Although the mages didn't have major issues with the Church, they still harbored a strong dislike for those religious fanatics, even feeling entirely indifferent toward them.
In the eyes of the top-tier Archmages, the Church was nothing more than a backward institution that used faith to exploit ordinary people's wealth and gain political influence within the Empire.
In the past, before the magical system of mages had fully developed, the Holy Light Church, as the only large-scale organization capable of producing Holy Light priests, significantly reduced the Empire's internal medical burden and contributed greatly to humanity's survival.
But now, the Healing Department of the Mage Tower had developed compound spells that not only had better healing effects but also fewer side effects, completely replacing Holy Light magic in the medical field.
Despite this, most of the populace, due to their faith in the God of Holy Light, continued to seek healing from priests at the Church, ignoring the severe side effects of Holy Light spells for certain illnesses.
Moreover, the Church, to fill its coffers, exploited the people's faith by charging them various "fool's taxes." Even though they no longer sold indulgences, which were outright scams, they still peddled so-called "holy water" and "relics," engaging in highly unethical practices.
In the eyes of the Archmages, such a backward organization ought to be abolished.
Had it not been for the Church's overwhelming influence in the Empire, a second Church-Mage War might have already broken out.
Even without a full-blown war, the tension between mages and Church members had long since reached a boiling point, with both sides holding deep disdain for the other.
This had led to a clear divide among the Empire's noble factions. Some sought the aid of mages, while others sought the help of Church clergy, but none dared to rely on both. After all, if a hot-tempered mage and a Church member ever crossed paths, a fight breaking out on the spot wasn't out of the question.
Thus, when the Archmages saw Durin's film featuring a near-sixth-tier Holy Light spell, their first reaction was that he must have sought help from the Church, and they felt deeply displeased by this possibility.
Fortunately, Laura, an Archmage specializing in healing magic and well-versed in Holy Light magic, saw through the nature of the Holy Light spell shown in the film and spoke up:
"That's not Holy Light magic cast by the Church. Although it's been proven in past studies that there is no fundamental difference between Holy Light magic and Holy Light divine spells, the casting methods do differ slightly."
"In the past, the Church deliberately modified the magic formula of Holy Light to claim that their Holy Light was a divine gift from the gods, making it appear more radiant and sacred. As a result, while it looked more impressive, its power was somewhat diminished. In contrast, Holy Light magic cast by non-Church individuals stays closer to the true essence of Holy Light: restrained yet intensely powerful. It appears gentle, but in reality, it carries immense destructive force."
"The spell in the film is closer to the essence of Holy Light, and it seems like the caster hasn't systematically learned the proper magical formulas. They're just recklessly relying on an enormous amount of magic power. I estimate that casting such a Holy Light spell consumed three to four times the magic that a trained caster would need."
Upon hearing Laura's explanation, the other Archmages were visibly surprised, their expressions quickly turning peculiar.
After all, according to her, the caster of that Holy Light spell might be someone with little to no formal magical education—a total novice.
Yet, for a novice to be able to unleash a near-sixth-tier spell was almost more exaggerated than the achievements of those who became Archmages during the early days of magical enlightenment.
Even these Archmages, who stood at the pinnacle of human wisdom, couldn't quite fathom what kind of person this caster could be.
"Forget it. Let's not overthink this. Let's just keep watching the movie. If we have any questions, we can ask Durin directly later," Dean Hohenheim remarked, breaking the train of thought of the Archmages. In the end, everyone nodded and continued watching the rest of the film.
.....
In the movie theater, Beldia cast a deep glance at Laetitia, who remained silent beside him, then turned to Durin and said, "That Holy Light..."
Before he could finish, Durin smiled and replied, "The spell model and magical formula were my creations. Originally, I only intended to release a weakened version of Divine Burst, channeling magic from external sources. I didn't expect Laetitia to pull it off so effortlessly. It's a miracle that her crude spell model could sustain a near-sixth-tier spell. Most people would have been drained dry by the immense magic required."
"Heh, are you dissatisfied with my spell?"
"No... not at all. But isn't it a bit ridiculous that a lich like you can cast Holy Light magic?"
"Why would it be ridiculous? Holy Light magic is something anyone can use. Or do you also believe in the Church's teachings about 'God said, let there be light'?"
"No, no, as a mage, of course, I don't believe in that."
As Durin said this, he suddenly frowned as if he had thought of something troubling.
But in the end, he simply shook his head in resignation and said nothing more.
It was clear that Durin had already realized that his conflict with the Holy Light Church had been inevitable ever since he took in Beldia and Wiz, both of whom were undead.
When this volatile situation would eventually explode was something even he couldn't predict.
....
"Holy Light, huh?"
Watching the scenes unfold in the movie, the Orc Prophet furrowed his brow slightly.
Back in the early days when the Human Empire had just been established, the abundance of human priests had given the orcs an immense headache.
It's important to remember that the earliest human priests were no weaklings. Most of them were warriors wielding large shields—combat priests in the truest sense of the term. With one hand, they healed with Holy Light, and with the other, they struck with it. They were the quintessential battle clerics.
Back then, a squad of battle clerics could fight on the battlefield for three days and nights, continuously healing an entire battalion of knights, and when necessary, they could pick up weapons and fight like soldiers.
But nowadays, after a prolonged period of peace, the quality of human priests had drastically declined.
The Church's rampant corruption had led to a sharp decrease in both battle clerics and monks, and their overall strength was nowhere near what it used to be.
In fact, the Orc Kingdom had once sent spies to infiltrate the Church, only for the spies to return within a few days.
When asked why they came back so quickly, the answer was simple: the Church's defenses were so lax that the spies easily gathered all the intelligence they needed, including even the color of the Pope's undergarments.
After reviewing all the intel, the orcs had completely dismissed the Church as a threat, believing that such a degenerate organization could no longer stir up any significant trouble.
Yet now, seeing the powerful Holy Light spell unleashed by the knight called Saber in the movie, a sense of caution crept into the Orc Prophet's heart.
Perhaps the strength of the human Church wasn't as simple as the spy reports had led them to believe.
In fact, it was possible that all the intelligence the spies had gathered had been deliberately leaked by the humans to deceive the Orc Kingdom.
After all, the Holy Light Church had been one of the foundational pillars of the Human Empire, and it couldn't be underestimated so easily.
With newfound vigilance, the Orc Prophet silently resolved to send out more people to investigate the Holy Light Church when he returned.
...
The movie continued to unfold.
"Did you see that, King of Conquerors? That is the brilliance of Saber," Gilgamesh stood atop the bridge, laughing as he called out to Iskandar.
"After witnessing such radiance, do you still refuse to acknowledge her?"
In response, Iskandar gave a soft snort, his expression heavy, as if gazing upon something tragically beautiful. He spoke slowly, "It's precisely because she carries the hopes of her entire era that she can unleash such power. But it's because it shines so brightly that it pains the heart. Who would have thought that the one bearing such a heavy burden is nothing more than a naive young girl?"
"Indeed, she's just a girl. A girl who gave up the joys of life, abandoned love, and became ensnared in an endless curse called 'ideals.' It's heartbreaking, truly painful to watch."
But Gilgamesh only grinned wickedly in response, "That's exactly what makes her so adorable, isn't it? Her grand and unreachable ideals will eventually consume her, burning her from the inside out. Imagine how sweet her tears will taste when she weeps in despair at the end."
"I've always despised you, Hero King of Babylon," Iskandar responded, his voice filled with distaste.
"Oh? You only realize this now? What will you do, Rider? Are you planning to unleash your rage through force right here?"
"It would certainly be satisfying to do so, but against an opponent like you, I'm afraid I don't have the strength for that tonight."
"That's fine. I will allow you to flee, Conqueror. If I do not defeat you when you are at your best, I would not feel satisfied."
"Haha, is that so? Or perhaps it's because you still haven't recovered from the wounds you suffered when that black shadow knocked you down?"
"Anyone who dares provoke the King must pay with their life!"
"Let's settle it next time, Hero King. Our battle will determine who claims the Holy Grail."
"Who knows how it will turn out? Whether you alone are worthy of receiving my greatest treasure is yet to be decided, Rider."
Gilgamesh said this as he gazed into the distance, seemingly at Artoria, but in truth, his eyes were focused elsewhere.
"A fool who reaches for what is beyond the realm of mankind!"
"There is only one person in this world worthy of witnessing your downfall, and that is I, Gilgamesh!"
"You, who are radiant yet ephemeral, come into my embrace."
"This is my decree!"
....
As the intense battle at the Fuyuki River concluded, the audience barely had time to recover before the plot took another unexpected twist.
Sola, Diarmuid's new Master, was preparing to leave from her high vantage point when she was suddenly ambushed by Maiya Hisau, Kiritsugu's assistant. In a swift and precise strike, Maiya severed the arm that bore the Command Seals.
Meanwhile, Kariya Matou, who was supposed to have died, was unexpectedly saved by Kirei Kotomine. In a shocking turn of events, Kirei dragged Kariya, his supposed enemy, to safety.
These bizarre and unsettling developments reignited the tension in the theater, just as the audience had begun to settle down. Kirei's actions, in particular, left everyone in genuine confusion.
"What is he doing? Why would he save Kariya Matou?"
"Could it be that Kirei Kotomine is actually a good guy?"
"This doesn't add up..."
The confusion spread, and with no time to process their emotions, the audience was once again fully absorbed in the unfolding drama, eager to see where these surprising turns would lead.
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