After the airing of "That Year, That Bunny Thing," Picca Comics returned to its usual routine.
First up were updates on a few comics.
The most anticipated among them was "Fate/Zero."
"Fate/Zero" is a tragic story.
This was something Ren specifically highlighted in his previous promotions.
Initially, people didn't notice much; they found the story exciting and interesting.
But when it came to Diarmuid fighting Artoria, everyone finally understood what he meant.
To be honest, the exits of Caster and Assassin didn't stir much emotion in the readers.
Assassin had few appearances, and although Ren portrayed him as loyal, he still seemed like someone who followed the wrong person.
As for Caster? After killing so many innocent children, readers felt he deserved his fate.
But when Diarmuid exited, people felt Kiritsugu was too ruthless, and the Porter too cruel. It was indeed a tragedy!
In many readers' eyes, Diarmuid had always been a righteous knight.
He was also a well-loved character.
First, his handsome appearance won over many female fans, and he was kind-hearted, willing to sacrifice his combat ability to defeat the Sea Demon.
Losing one of his spears was like a boxer losing an arm.
But when he knew the Sea Demon would come ashore, Diarmuid broke his spear without hesitation to kill it, even if it restored Arthur's combat ability.
Many readers knew that since Artoria was featured on the cover, she would likely be among the last standing, making Diarmuid's death inevitable.
However, they expected him to die gloriously in battle against Artoria, finally losing due to his missing spear, dying with the regret of not winning.
But Kiritsugu and Ren showed them their naive thinking was completely wrong.
What chivalry? The times have changed!
What honorable battle? To win, even backstabbing is acceptable!
Using any means to achieve victory, that's the Holy Grail War!
"Do you want victory so badly?! Do you desire the Holy Grail so much that you trample even my sole sincere wish? Aren't you ashamed?!"
Kneeling in a pool of blood, Diarmuid's once handsome face turned ghostly. Consumed by hatred, Lancer lost his mind, raging at Kiritsugu, Saber, and the world.
"Unforgivable... I will never forgive you! You, who are tainted by fame, who tarnish the honor of knights... let my blood stain your dreams! I curse the Holy Grail! I curse your wishes to bring calamity! When you fall into hell, remember my fury!"
Diarmuid's only wish was to serve loyally.
But even this simple wish was cruelly trampled, so before dying, he cursed everyone and the Holy Grail!
His deep resentment reached readers, chilling their hearts.
It felt like a heavy blow to their chests.
But this wasn't the most distressing moment for readers!
After Diarmuid's death, they hoped Kiritsugu would spare Kenneth, who had lost everything, including his Command Spells and his magic circuits.
Even readers not familiar with the details knew Kenneth was now like a crippled martial artist.
Some speculated how Kenneth, once highly esteemed, would face humiliation upon returning to the Clock Tower.
But what happened?
Kiritsugu had read enough web novels to know about "rooting out threats completely."
He ensured Kenneth had no escape.
A plane ticket? No need, he sent him straight to the afterlife.
Not only Kenneth, but even Sola wasn't spared, fearing Kenneth might be lonely on his journey.
Such ruthlessness was chilling, making Kiritsugu seem like the ultimate villain.
"Why is Kiritsugu so cruel? He killed Diarmuid, and now he's killing even those Diarmuid cursed!"
"Kiritsugu will definitely meet a tragic end!"
Many Diarmuid fans were furious.
Some, however, understood Kiritsugu's methods.
In war, there's no noble or despicable; everyone in the Holy Grail War knew it was a life-and-death battle.
There are no innocents, only enemies. War is hell, and Kiritsugu aimed to end it efficiently!
After Diarmuid's exit, the Holy Grail War grew more tense and thrilling.
Who would die next?
After Diarmuid's death, readers were full of questions.
Soon, they had their answer.
The next to die was Tohsaka.
And his killer was his own student, Kirei.
Seeing this, Daniel and many readers smiled, feeling validated.
They had suspected Kirei might seek the Grail after talking with Gilgamesh.
So, everyone became an enemy. Killing his unguarded master to gain the strongest Servant and remove an enemy made perfect sense.
Unfortunately for Ren, only "Fate/Zero" had been released so far in the Fate series.
So, fans were unaware of the "who stabs who" trope.
They also didn't know about the infamous Azoth Dagger!
This left Ren eager to see the internet's reaction when they discovered this trope.
Readers imagined Kirei, with Gilgamesh, sweeping through the Holy Grail War.
But the story took a surprising, suspenseful turn, thrilling readers even more.
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Yes, as the story progressed, it took on a bit of a suspenseful tone. In the following plot, after Kiritsugu took the sheath from his wife Irisviel, he headed to Tohsaka's residence.
During the ambush and infiltration, Kiritsugu realized that Tohsaka was already dead.
At that moment, Maiya called to say that Rider had kidnapped Irisviel. Kiritsugu used a Command Seal to send Artoria to the warehouse. By then, Maiya was dying. She refused Artoria's help and urged her to go after Irisviel. Seeing Kiritsugu for the last time, Maiya passed away peacefully.
This left many readers puzzled. Why would Rider kidnap Irisviel?
In the story, Rider is portrayed as bold and honorable. When he intervened in the fight between Artoria and Diarmuid at the harbor, he announced his name right away.
Given his character, why would Rider resort to kidnapping, especially a non-combatant like Irisviel? Did he develop feelings for her? Or did Waver command him to do so?
Readers imagined the small Waver standing before the imposing Rider, issuing such an order... but it was hard to picture.
With these questions in mind, readers continued.
Soon, their focus shifted from why Rider kidnapped Irisviel to something else.
A super cool, awesome motorcycle appeared in the manga!
Ren knew what would attract readers, so he highlighted the most stylish scenes.
During Artoria and Rider's chase, the two-stage transformation of Artoria's motorcycle thrilled readers.
Knowing that the motorcycles in the story were real models created through collaborations with manufacturers, readers were excited. Just like the bikes in "Kamen Rider Kuuga," these bikes could be bought in real life, even if they weren't as amazing as in the manga. Fans wanted them for their looks.
"This bike is so cool! Do you think I'll get a girlfriend if I ride it?"
"What's so cool about that? The Porter can only collaborate with local manufacturers. How many foreign motorcycle brands have partnered with his works?"
When these licensed bikes hit the market, they sold quickly.
Artoria and Rider's chase ended in a clash on an empty highway.
This was Artoria's second use of her Noble Phantasm after the Sea Demon battle, successfully destroying Rider's chariot.
Readers were divided.
Artoria still had many supporters. To them, her victory over Rider's chariot proved her superior combat skills.
Others, however, admired Rider's charisma and believed, "If Rider had used 'Ionioi Hetairoi,' he would have won!"
In their view, Artoria's Excalibur could only cause linear damage. With so many in Rider's army, Artoria couldn't defeat them all with one blast. After her attack, she would be vulnerable.
This sparked further debate.
As the manga neared its conclusion, the story seemed more confusing and suspenseful.
Why did Rider kidnap Irisviel? And why wasn't she seen in the chase scene?
Earlier, Kirei had killed Tohsaka and formed a pact with Gilgamesh. What was his next move?
Just as readers were filled with questions, the answers were revealed in the manga.
The kidnapper wasn't Rider but Berserker, who used his abilities to disguise himself as Rider!
Kirei's earlier rescue of the defeated Kariya set the stage for this plot.
This entire attack on Saber was Kirei's scheme!
Previously, readers didn't understand why Gilgamesh so easily convinced Kirei to betray his master. But now, seeing Kirei manipulate Kariya, they understood his true nature.
Kirei was inherently twisted!
Initially unaware of his own darkness, Kirei was led by Gilgamesh to embrace his inner demon.
Upon learning Kiritsugu's ideals from Irisviel, Kirei decided Kiritsugu was his true rival.
By now, most of the participants had been eliminated.
Only four Masters and their Servants remained.
Using a battle royale analogy, they had entered the final round.
The manga had laid out all its mysteries.
Readers guessed the ultimate winners would be Artoria and Kiritsugu, facing Kirei and Gilgamesh.
But the most anticipated showdown was between Rider and Gilgamesh!
Readers remembered the three kings' banquet where Gilgamesh taunted Rider.
Who was stronger, "Ionioi Hetairoi" or "Gate of Babylon"?
Would Rider's army overwhelm Gilgamesh's wealth of weapons?
This excited many readers.
As the final battle approached, with Rider ready to fight, Waver raised his Command Seal-marked arm.
"My Servant, I, Waver Velvet, command you with a Command Seal."
"Rider, you must achieve ultimate victory!"
"Again, with a Command Seal!"
"Rider, you must seize the Holy Grail!"
"Finally, with a Command Seal!"
"Rider, you must conquer the world. Do not fail!"
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