Meanwhile, after finalizing the launch event schedule, Kamiyā Yuu and the others left the meeting room and prepared to officially begin the joint novel release.
Once he arrived behind the stage, Kamiyā Yuu instructed the stage staff through the headset to notify Amamiya Kae that they were ready.
"Miss Amamiya, Mr. Kamiyā is ready. Start playing the promotional PV."
Receiving the notification through her earpiece, Amamiya Kae breathed a sigh of relief.
The audience below the stage had grown larger and larger. If the delay continued much longer, people would inevitably become dissatisfied.
She bowed apologetically to the audience.
"My apologies. Before I knew it, it was almost time for the launch event to begin. Before Mr. Kamiyā Yuu joins us, let's first enjoy a promotional PV produced by Mr. Kamiyā himself for the novel!"
She stepped to one side of the stage so as not to obstruct the audience's view.
A large projection screen slowly descended.
As the lights dimmed, the stage instantly resembled a miniature movie theater.
A countdown appeared on the screen.
5.
4.
3.
2.
1.
The venue gradually fell silent.
Every pair of eyes turned curiously toward the screen.
---
Iskandar, the King of Conquerors, wearing the white T-shirt that looked far too small for his muscular frame, laughed heartily.
"Hahaha! Heroes from every era have gathered in the modern age. The King of Heroes, the King of Knights—each stands at the pinnacle of their own age. If we don't share a drink, wouldn't this Banquet of the Holy Grail be far too dull?"
Waver protested unhappily,
"Rider! We're still enemies!"
The scene rapidly shifted.
Iskandar drank deeply from a golden goblet before declaring in his domineering voice,
"A king is one whose ambition surpasses all others, who laughs more boldly than anyone, and whose anger burns fiercer than anyone else's. Whether in good or evil, he reaches the utmost extreme. It is precisely because of this that his subjects envy him and are drawn to him."
"He ignites within every one of his subjects the desire to become a king themselves. A king who takes pride in being a knight, your justice and ideals may save a nation and rescue its people for a time. But you know as well as I do what awaits those who only wait to be saved..."
"You spent your life rescuing your subjects, yet never leading them. You never displayed the desires worthy of a king. You abandoned your own lost subjects while remaining pure yourself, immersing yourself in your own petty ideals. Therefore, you are no true king. You are merely a little girl obsessed with acting the part of a king—for others rather than for yourself!"
The line resonated strongly with many of the audience.
Most of them had already read the two side-story novels.
Many readers had long felt that there was something fundamentally wrong with the way Saber had ruled her kingdom, though they had never been able to clearly explain why.
---
The scene shifted again.
Sand whipped across the battlefield.
Iskandar unfolded Ionioi Hetairoi, the Army of the King.
The camera swept down from the sky, overlooking the endless army stretching across the desert before descending rapidly to reveal its full grandeur.
The magnificent battlefield had been rendered with astonishing detail.
Accompanied by Iskandar's narration, everyone in the audience could feel the overwhelming charisma radiating from the animated character.
"This was once the land where my army galloped. The scenery my warriors and I engraved into our hearts after sharing hardship and joy."
"The reason this world and this landscape can be recreated... is because this is the shared vision of every one of us."
"Behold my invincible army!"
"Though our bodies have perished, our souls remain in this world as Heroic Spirits!"
"Even so, these legendary warriors of unwavering loyalty still follow me!"
"The bonds I share with them are my greatest treasure!"
"My King's Way!"
"Iskandar's greatest Noble Phantasm—"
"Ionioi Hetairoi!!"
His deep, resonant voice combined with the intense background music left the audience utterly stunned.
Those who already loved Iskandar as a character felt goosebumps spread across their bodies.
For that brief moment, they almost felt as though they themselves were warriors following the King of Conquerors across countless battlefields.
---
"A king is the one who shines brighter than anyone else."
"He reveals his greatness openly before the world."
"He is admired by every hero."
"And only those who strive toward that ideal deserve to become kings."
"Therefore... a king is never alone."
"His greatness is built upon the aspirations of all his subjects."
"So then..."
"Come."
"Lancer."
---
Lancer Zhao Yun twirled his spear before pointing it toward the million-man army.
Walking calmly across the desert, he smiled faintly.
"What foolish stubbornness."
"In my eyes, your so-called King's Way isn't worth a single coin."
"Before speaking such lofty words..."
"...do you even understand that the victor becomes king while the defeated become outlaws?"
---
Saber stood upon a mountain of corpses clad in silver armor.
A gentle breeze lifted her golden hair.
The emerald-green light in her eyes had long since faded.
Images layered one after another.
Merlin's teachings.
Her vow upon drawing the Sword in the Stone.
Leading her unmatched knights from one victory to another.
Returning home in triumph as the entire kingdom cheered proudly for their king.
---
"'A little girl obsessed with acting like a king?'"
"Perhaps... perhaps that's true."
"Perhaps that's exactly how the knights who followed me once saw me."
"And perhaps that is why they believed I was not yet worthy of being their king."
"But being devoted to the image of a king is not something I consider wrong."
"The only thing I can do..."
"...is fulfill the role of a king."
"To lead my kingdom."
"To lead the people who chose to follow me."
"If I am obsessed with the image of a king..."
"...then at the very least, I am faithfully playing the role of one."
Holding the holy sword before her chest, Saber slowly closed her eyes and raised it high into the sky.
As fierce winds gathered, the sword finally revealed its true form.
Golden light converged upon its blade.
The cheers of her people seemed to echo once again.
The knights who had once followed her pledged their loyalty anew.
"Iskandar, King of Conquerors..."
"As you said..."
"The only thing I can do..."
"...is stand before my kingdom and my people."
"But..."
"This is not a mistake."
.
.
.
"Ex——calibur!!!"
.
.
.
...
The PV opened with a close-up of Iskandar's hearty laughter and summarized the events of the 'Banquet of the Three Kings'.
Since Zhao Yun had not originally been invited and only joined after Ionioi Hetairoi was activated, the gathering still retained the temporary title of the 'Banquet of the Three Kings'.
The PV itself had been edited by Kamiyā Yuu using unreleased footage from Episodes 11 through 14.
Saber's release of the true name of her Noble Phantasm, Excalibur, had been specially animated because the main production had not yet reached that point.
Most of the dialogue had also been recorded separately by the voice actors specifically to strengthen the emotional impact of the PV.
A great deal of information had been compressed into only four minutes.
As either an anime PV or a novel advertisement, it would normally have been considered poorly structured.
Anyone unfamiliar with the series would probably have no idea what was happening.
But this launch event was aimed specifically at readers purchasing Volume Three.
They were already thoroughly familiar with the 'Fate/Zero' series.
As such, the PV perfectly complemented both the upcoming anime episodes and the overall direction of the novel.
When the four-minute promotional video ended...
The venue remained completely silent.
Many readers had been utterly captivated.
Even those who had come primarily for Gogyo Ruri found themselves deeply shaken by what they had just watched.
The grand scale.
The fierce clash of ideals.
The vividly distinctive personalities of each character.
Everything left an unforgettable impression.
Then—
Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!
Thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall.
The audience applauded enthusiastically while discussing the PV with flushed faces.
"What was that promotional PV!? Does that mean all those scenes will appear in the anime later?"
"My blood is boiling! The King of Conquerors' speech was incredible! The King of Knights wasn't qualified at all—she even left Lancelot regretting everything for the rest of his life."
"So that army is the King of Conquerors' Noble Phantasm? That was unbelievable! I can't even imagine how the anime is going to animate something on that scale."
"That PV makes me want to start reading the novel immediately! Amazing!"
Andō Yuri excitedly tugged on her younger brother's sleeve.
"Ahhh! Finally it feels like all that waiting was worth it!"
"Did you see it?"
"That line Zhao Yun said just now!"
"Wasn't it awesome?"
It was obvious Zhao Yun was her favorite character.
"You're way too excited, Sis."
Andō Shū laughed.
In reality, he had unconsciously clenched his fists.
He had followed both the novels and the anime.
After watching the PV, regardless of which character's ideals he agreed with, there was only one feeling—
Hype.
Unfortunately, the PV lasted only four minutes.
Many scenes had barely begun before immediately cutting away.
He was especially curious about the battle in the desert, where Zhao Yun would face Iskandar's massive army alone.
Judging by the brief glimpses shown in the PV, whether the anime could truly deliver such an overwhelming spectacle remained to be seen.
"That wasn't nearly enough."
"I'm reading the novel the moment I get home."
Looking down at the collection of novels he had just purchased, Andō Shū struggled to suppress the urge to open them immediately.