Chapter 169: The End of Fate/Zero Screening! (1)
As the second episode of Fate/Zero finished airing, cinemas throughout the southern region erupted in chaos.
No one expected the storyline to pause at such a critical moment, igniting the audience's fury.
Although Durin wanted to explain that he didn't intend for the episode to end there—the production schedule had been miscalculated, forcing the break at this point—he doubted anyone would listen to him. So, he quickly fled to the Imperial Mage Academy, where the screening had also just ended.
In his view, mages were more rational and wouldn't riot like the general public.
However, Durin underestimated the impact of the break. As soon as he entered the Imperial Mage Academy, he was greeted with a similar scene.
Many mages were waving their wands, and angry comments could be heard from a distance.
Occasionally, even lecturer-level mages joined in the demands for new content.
"Damn it! If I see Durin again, I'll tie him up and make him film the rest of Fate/Zero immediately!"
"I agree, this break is outrageous! How can it end at such a crucial point?"
"The worst part is, he even included a teaser-like scene. Is this a joke? How am I supposed to sleep well for the next few months?"
"Ahhhh, I can't live without Fate!"
Scenes identical to those in the southern cinemas resonated in the Imperial Mage Academy's courtyard. Durin could only sigh awkwardly and then discreetly made his way to the top of the Alchemy Tower.
"Hey, Scar."
Upon seeing the tower master of the Alchemy Tower, who had been tirelessly working to maintain broadcast operations without a single break, Durin smiled. It wasn't exactly schadenfreude, but a sense of shared misery.
When Scar saw Durin, he first wiped his dark circles and then began to speak:
"The dean and many archmages just came by."
"Oh? What were they here for?"
"They said if that guy Durin comes around, I should notify them immediately. Even if it means tying him up, they want him to release the rest of Fate/Zero as quickly as possible!"
"…"
Durin shivered, surprised that the impact of the pause was so significant that even the archmages were expressing their concerns. With an awkward smile, he said, "So, Scar, you're not going to rat me out, right? I knew we had a strong bond!"
"No, you should be thankful I didn't have time to watch the show. If I had, I might be with them…"
"Uh, well…"
Durin sighed deeply, realizing yet again the difference between this world and the other one. In the Earth, even if a series has a cliffhanger, readers wouldn't come knocking on your door, but in this world, figures as powerful as the archmages might actually teleport over to do just that.
This made Durin resolve to avoid stopping the storyline at crucial points in the future.
As Durin lapsed into silence, Scar continued, "So, why are you here now? Just to avoid being hunted down?"
"Of course not."
Quickly adjusting his attitude, Durin smiled and said, "I'm mainly here to check if there are any issues with the broadcast on this side. What's currently airing?"
"About episode 10 of the TV version of KonoSuba, which is almost finishing."
"Oh, then just before we air Steins;Gate this afternoon, we can watch Kara no Kyoukai."
"Of course, isn't that what your initial broadcast schedule was?"
"No, back then I was busy with filming; I didn't have the energy to do that. I asked Helena to come up with this schedule randomly since she's usually not busy outside of filming."
"Oh, the explosive girl from the Elemental Magic department?"
"You know her? Seems like she really made a name for herself."
"Hehe, a troublesome student capable of blowing up the department head's office; of course, I would know her. By the way, you and Helena were in the same year, right? She's basically graduated now. What's your status? Have you graduated after all these years?"
"Isn't it obvious? I've already gotten into the Mage Tower, officially recognized as an Imperial Mage. What's graduating compared to that?"
"Is that so? So it seems our Alchemical Magic department won't have anyone to compete in next year's Magic Sports Meet."
"Oh, that's a thing…"
Durin was naturally aware of this Magic Sports Meet. Having been a part of the academy himself, he knew it was a competitive event that involved all departments and grades of the Imperial Mage Academy.
Mages generally lacked the motivation to exercise, and research showed that the human body, even that of mages, would deteriorate with prolonged inactivity. Therefore, upon its establishment, the Imperial Mage Academy instituted this event to ensure students maintained a healthy physique, preventing high-risk diseases caused by a lack of exercise.
In a way, this approach had a modern feel, illustrating how advanced the Mage Tower and the Imperial Mage Academy truly were.
Magic granted some people innate power, and on an unbiased basis, it selected the elite from human society. While this selection was not so apparent in ancient times, once an organization was established to embrace these elites, its evolutionary pace would far surpass the sum of normal society's advancements.
Even though it's an unattainable, foundation-less dream outside the general populace, the tower's magnificence and brilliance surpassed anyone's imagination.
Of course, someone like Durin, with a modern mindset, wasn't satisfied with just having an exquisite tower. His goal was to provide everything within the tower to all of humanity, indiscriminately.
He had never forgotten his original intention.
"Alright, we can talk about the sports meet next year. For now, we'll be able to see Kara no Kyoukai soon, right? I'll quickly remind everyone; hopefully, that will help ease some of their anger."
Hearing this, Scar nodded and replied, "I'll also use the broadcast to remind the dean and the students in the courtyard."
"Oh! Thanks a lot!"
With that, Durin left the Alchemy Tower.
As Durin departed, Scar glanced at the huge magical array beneath him, which was continually sending out signals of magical power. A faint smile appeared on his face.
Despite the grueling workload of a 24/7 schedule, he was actually quite satisfied with his current life.
After all, compared to the dark days of the past, he could now clearly see a much brighter future on the horizon!
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