"Uh, why are Kiritsugu and Saber acting so weird? Aren't they supposed to be Master and Servant?"
"Yeah, it feels like this could lead to some problems…"
"It'd be hilarious if Kiritsugu had summoned that Archer instead, hahaha!"
"Why not Rider? Summoning either of those two would definitely be more entertaining than summoning Saber, hahaha!"
The audience at the screening casually voiced their unfiltered opinions about the scenes in the movie. In truth, they weren't wrong—if Kiritsugu had summoned either of the two proud kings, the battles within their own camp might have broken out even before the official conflict began.
As the story progressed, Kiritsugu Emiya's vulnerable side began to reveal itself, leaving the audience uncertain about whether he was an idealistic dreamer or a cold and pragmatic realist. This portrayal of internal contradictions made Kiritsugu feel all the more real, and many viewers found themselves growing fond of this cold-blooded mage killer.
Meanwhile, the plot thickened as Caster launched a full-on assault on the Einzbern castle, pushing the storyline of Fate/Zero forward once again. The subsequent developments could be summarized as three major battle arcs: Saber versus Caster, Kiritsugu versus Kayneth, and Irisviel versus Kirei Kotomine.
First, the battle between Saber and Caster. While the audience enjoyed the adventurous atmosphere of the fight, their primary reaction was one of outrage at Caster's indiscriminate slaughter of innocents. That is, until Lancer unexpectedly joined the fray, sparking excitement among viewers who were invested in the "sword and spear duo" dynamic.
On the other hand, the fight between Irisviel and Kirei Kotomine felt comparatively lackluster. While the confrontation was filled with scheming and reversals, it was still essentially a clash between ordinary humans, leaving the audience mostly indifferent. At most, they were surprised by Irisviel's unexpected resilience despite her seemingly fragile demeanor.
In contrast, the longest and undoubtedly coolest battle was the magical duel between Kiritsugu and Kayneth. This was the scene that the mages from the Imperial Academy of Magic had been eagerly anticipating from the start!
"Time Alter: Double Accel!"
The moment Kiritsugu invoked this skill to evade Kayneth's Volumen Hydrargyrum: Marrow of the Moon Spirit, complete with on-screen subtitles explaining the technique, the entire plaza erupted with excitement from the magic enthusiasts.
"Did you see that? It's a time manipulation ability! By severing his inner connection to the outside world, he's accelerating his own time. Such a dangerous spell, and it's actually achievable…"
"I never thought Kiritsugu, who seems to walk the most unconventional path, would possess such a unique magecraft skill. And it's time manipulation, no less!"
"Isn't time-based magic supposed to be an uncharted and unattainable domain? Has anyone ever mastered the ability to alter time in reality?"
"Probably not. As far as I know, the only similar mage in history was the founder of teleportation magic. Even with his mastery of spatial manipulation, he couldn't grasp the mysteries of time. If such a power existed in reality, wouldn't it be too much of a cheat?"
"Yeah, though I'd love to have the ability to pause time."
"Pause time? What would you do with that? (Giving the previous guy suspicious look)"
"What's with that look? Damn it! If I could pause time, the first thing I'd do is punch you a hundred times!"
As the students' discussion predictably veered off track, the battle between Kiritsugu and Kayneth continued on screen. Even the veteran mages, with years of experience, found themselves learning new perspectives from this fight.
"Interesting. Controlling water flow to manipulate highly malleable mercury and crafting unique magecraft out of it—this is nothing short of innovative thinking. Though, let's be honest, most water-element mages can't even afford this much mercury."
"I think Kiritsugu's unorthodox combat style is quite creative. Who says mages have to stand still while casting? Fighting like a warrior or assassin while using magic for support not only looks cooler but also expands the possibilities."
"Not bad, but I still think Kiritsugu isn't a match for Kayneth. That Volumen Hydrargyrum is overpowered—it's both offensive and defensive and even has an autonomous system. It feels almost unfair."
"Of course it's fake. This is a movie! Just keep watching. Judging by Kiritsugu's confident demeanor, he must have another trump card. Let's wait for the plot twist."
As the discussion spread, the climax of Kiritsugu and Kayneth's duel unfolded. Faced with a thoroughly enraged Kayneth, Kiritsugu maintained his calm and confidence, ultimately ending the fight in a flash with his last Origin Bullet.
The moment Kayneth fell, the audience was stunned, unable to process what had just happened. To them, it felt as if Kiritsugu had activated some cheat code and instantly defeated his opponent.
It wasn't until the movie transitioned into a flashback of Kiritsugu crafting his Origin Bullets that the audience began to piece together the situation, leading to collective contemplation—or bewilderment.
In a high tower, a group of senior Arch Mages who had been silently watching the movie were visibly stirred by this plot twist. One of the Arch Mages, who had previously offered a rational analysis of the Holy Grail War, immediately spoke up, "Origin? What is that? I've never heard of such a concept."
Most of the Arch Mages expressed similar confusion, unable to grasp the meaning of "Origin." However, one unassuming female mage among them seemed both surprised and intrigued. She slowly said, "Was this film really created by Edward? How does he know about the concept of Origin?"
"You know something about this?"
Even Hohenheim, the headmaster, showed interest. As someone who hadn't delved into every magical discipline, there were naturally things he didn't know.
The female Arch Mage replied, "Headmaster, as you know, I specialize in the study of the soul as part of the mental magic discipline. In our research, one of the most unavoidable topics is human instinct, or what we call 'chaotic impulses.' Every person seems to have an inherent personality at birth. This concept of fatalism is something we in soul studies have long rejected. Yet, inexplicably, it feels as if the world operates under such cause and effect. All living beings seem to have a predetermined direction from the moment of their creation, and they inevitably move toward it. For humans, this manifests as a primal drive. While acquired personalities and intellect can suppress this primal instinct, for those with strong magical aptitude, this instinct becomes even more pronounced.
"For instance, those with a natural affinity for water tend to have calmer dispositions, wind-aligned mages are more unrestrained, and fire-aligned individuals are often naturally temperamental. All things are born with an innate impulse. From this foundation, we derived the concept of 'Origin.' Since an Origin is the inherent direction of the soul at its creation, it serves as an absolute command at the core of existence. As long as the soul remains intact, even reincarnation cannot change it. Similarly, it profoundly influences a mage's elemental affinity from birth.
"Our mental magic discipline has researched this for centuries, but due to the lack of concrete evidence, it's never been disclosed to the public or presented in major lectures. I'm very curious—how did Edward come to know about this?"
Hearing her explanation, even Hohenheim was surprised. It was the first time he had encountered such a theory. Growing increasingly intrigued, he connected it to the film, saying, "So, Kiritsugu Emiya's Origin is 'Severing and Binding,' which gives him a natural chaotic impulse in this direction. And since he is a mage, this impulse is amplified, eventually manifesting as a special weapon that can affect other mages—the Origin Bullet?"
"That unrelated woman in the movie mentioned it, didn't she? This bullet makes its target manifest Kiritsugu's 'Origin.' The mage hit by the bullet would have their magic circuits severed and randomly reconnected, causing complete malfunction. For a mage, this weapon is extremely vicious. No wonder he's called a Mage Killer."
Given that the mages of this world also possessed magic circuits, they quickly grasped the story's setting. Yet, even so, the concepts of the Origin Bullet and Origin sparked intense debate among the Arch Mages. Discussions about the essence of the soul were rare, as most mages focused more on external influence and power than introspection.
"Who would've thought the human soul had such mysteries? Wait, could it be that the reason no seventh-rank mage has emerged so far is because we've been too focused on external feedback and neglected self-exploration?!"
As Hohenheim's words fell, the assembled Arch Mages froze as if struck by lightning. They sat there, dazed, their minds racing with countless thoughts as they unconsciously cast Eagle Eye spells to scrutinize the movie's details.
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