The original 'Fate/Zero' was classified as a light novel. However, unlike most popular light novel series, it did not stretch across ten or twenty volumes. Its dense plot conflicts and character development were condensed into only four volumes.
Gen Urobuchi was an experienced game scenario writer. His prose was on a completely different level from that of ordinary light novel authors, and he was particularly skilled at depicting grand scenes and clashes of character ideals. As a result, despite being condensed into only four volumes, the story never felt rushed.
The Banquet of Kings and the different philosophies of kingship, the ridicule directed at Kiritsugu Emiya's hollow sense of justice, and the tragic roots hidden within every character's background all linked together seamlessly, creating a highly satisfying reading experience.
The novel avoided the childish elements common in many Japanese works. Its story was integrated into the personalities of its characters, resulting in a sense of rigor. The conflicts between characters naturally reflected their ideals and charm.
The work resembled a Japanese fantasy opera—filled with the flavor of Japanese fantasy literature, yet lacking the frivolous and impatient feeling common to many Japanese entertainment novels.
Even so, 'Fate/Zero' still suffered from some of the narrow limitations typical of Japanese novels.
There was too much talking and not enough action.
The excessive pursuit of certain kinds of plot consistency weakened the story's overall tension.
The large-scale scenes lacked impact.
The ideological conflicts between characters were not intense enough.
Neither the Fourth Holy Grail War nor the Fifth Holy Grail War truly deserved the title of "war."
They felt more like games whose endings had already been arranged.
While the four volumes left readers praising the story, a closer examination revealed that something seemed to be missing.
The answer lay in the balance between plot and character, as well as the overall structure of the novel.
'Fate/Zero' was an excellent novel with an excellent story and memorable characters.
Yet it was not the kind of work that inspired endless revisiting or encouraged readers to dig deeper into its underlying themes.
In Kamiyā Yuu's opinion, the aspect most in need of revision was the setting of Fuyuki City.
A city inhabited only by ordinary people severely limited the scale of the story. Seven Heroic Spirits possessing powers beyond human comprehension fought one another, yet the resulting disturbances amounted to almost nothing.
This greatly restricted the impact of the spectacle.
Why not expand the world a little?
For example, introduce magi besides the Masters.
Create a separate dimension where Heroic Spirits could battle freely.
Deepen each character's background.
Kayneth would no longer be acting alone but instead become part of the Clock Tower family, using the Holy Grail War as a test.
The various Masters could rely not only on their Servants but also on the influence and resources of their magical families.
Kamiyā Yuu intended to produce 'Fate/Zero', but for the time being, he had no plans to adapt the Fifth Holy Grail War.
Since 'Fate/Zero' came first, he would not be heavily constrained by the original work. There was no need to worry about all sorts of restrictions.
If he eventually chose to adapt the Fifth Holy Grail War, then Kamiyā Yuu's revised version of 'Fate/Zero' would serve as its predecessor.
He had repeatedly experimented with these ideas within the consciousness space and selected the versions that produced the most ideal results before recreating them in reality through the novel.
At the very least, this Holy Grail War would truly deserve the word "war."
...
In June, before 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had even finished airing, Yosuganosora Animation Studio was already busy planning the production of 'Fate/Zero'.
Kamiyā Yuu still had a strong attachment to the original character designs of 'Fate/Zero'.
As a result, he drew rough drafts of the characters and then had Uehara Etsuki and Gogyo Ruri refine them further.
Among them, Saber was personally handled by Kamiyā Yuu.
Aside from some changes to clothing details, her overall design remained unchanged.
As for promotion, there was no large-scale publicity campaign.
At this point, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' remained Yosuganosora Animation Studio's flagship work.
Its popularity was still increasing at an astonishing rate.
It was difficult to imagine the impact the finale would have.
Kamiyā Yuu was not foolish enough to rush the promotion of a new project while 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' was still in the middle of its explosive growth period.
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had already reached Episode 20.
Only four episodes remained until the finale.
This portion of the story focused heavily on the main cast.
Homura Akemi, the character whose presence connected the entire narrative, finally began receiving deeper exploration.
In Episode 20, Walpurgisnacht had already arrived.
Episode 21 would reveal Homura's identity as a witch and the truth behind the repeating world cycles she had been controlling.
The overall story was drawing together toward its final twists and conflicts.
Through Homura's fall into becoming a witch, the narrative depicted just how deep, twisted, and dark her bond with Kaname Madoka truly was.
Finally, Kaname Madoka's self-sacrifice and ascension into Madokami would bring all causality to an end.
Since Episode 17, the audience had barely been given a moment to breathe.
Even Kamiyā Yuu himself could not accurately describe how popular 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' had become in Japan.
What could be said with certainty was that, thanks to its widespread social influence, the anime had already surpassed the popularity of the original work from his previous world before its finale had even aired.
Kaname Madoka, Homura Akemi, Sayaka Miki, Kyōko Sakura, and Mami Tomoe occupied the top five spots in the annual female anime character popularity rankings.
The rankings were:
Kyōko Sakura > Homura Akemi > Mami Tomoe > Sayaka Miki > Kaname Madoka
Even Kaname Madoka, ranked fifth, had several times more votes than the heroine of 'Mobile Suit 007', who ranked sixth.
Among Japan's younger generation, it was now possible to be uninterested in anime.
It was impossible not to know about 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica'.
...
"As expected, izakayas are the best! Izakayas are absolutely the best!"
Yūki Chinatsu downed a large mug of beer in one gulp.
The sweet and bitter taste filled her with satisfaction, causing her to let out a long sigh.
After setting down the glass, a ring of white foam remained around her lips.
Picking up a skewer of grilled meat, she chewed happily while grumbling:
"What is Sukiyabashi Jiro Sushi? Sure, the sushi tastes a little better, but it's no fun at all. Izakayas are still the best! Long live grilled meat! Long live beer! Long live atmosphere!"
Kamiyā Yuu's mouth twitched.
Bringing a "young-looking girl" like Yūki Chinatsu to an izakaya already felt strange enough.
Now he had the urge to cover his face and pretend not to know her.
Earlier, they had already visited Sukiyabashi Jiro Sushi.
As Japan's most famous sushi restaurant, the prices were naturally extraordinary.
Eating without restraint costs roughly a month's salary for an average Japanese office worker.
Even Yūki Chinatsu had been too embarrassed to shout and chat loudly in such an elegant establishment.
The alcohol served there mostly consisted of small cups of handcrafted sake.
Kamiyā Yuu had not seen the legendary "God of Sushi" himself.
Instead, one of the master's disciples prepared the sushi.
Even knowing that the chef's hands were professionally sanitized, Kamiyā Yuu still felt uncomfortable watching someone shape sushi by hand right in front of him.
After trying a few pieces, he stopped eating.
Given professional ingredients, he was confident he could make sushi of the same standard himself.
As for Yūki Chinatsu, from the very beginning, she had looked like a greedy cat.
The moment a plate arrived, it vanished.
Despite her petite frame, she managed to eat enough for two people.
Since Kamiyā Yuu had brought her himself, he naturally paid her bill as well.
Otherwise, Kitagawa Shūichi, the veteran animation director accompanying them, would probably have spent the rest of the month surviving on air.
Throughout the meal, Kamiyā Yuu discussed animation production with Kitagawa Shūichi.
Kitagawa was the first animation director Kamiyā Yuu had ever truly interacted with in this world.
Many of the practical experiences and insights he shared broadened Kamiyā Yuu's horizons considerably.
Previously, Kamiyā Yuu had largely been self-taught.
His previous world had possessed complete educational materials for animation directors, but lacked real-world validation.
For example, what camera angle best conveys a character's happiness, how to construct close-up storyboards for emotional scenes, or how to emphasize the intensity of battle sequences.
Occasionally, he also spoke with Fujiwara Tora and with Yūki Chinatsu, who spent most of the meal focused on eating.
The atmosphere remained extremely pleasant.
The only issue was that after finishing sushi at Sukiyabashi Jiro, Yūki Chinatsu had insisted on coming to an izakaya afterward.
Fresh grilled meat covered in delicious sauce was admittedly more tempting to Kamiyā Yuu than sushi.
"What's wrong? You're not drinking, Yuu? That's not acceptable. This is a drinking party! What's the first word at a drinking party? The answer is drinking~~! You're a man, Yuu. Even if you don't like alcohol, you have to learn. Not learning is unacceptable!"
Yūki Chinatsu gulped down another mouthful of beer.
Her flushed face struggled to maintain a serious expression as she lectured him in the tone of a senior.
It wasn't that Kamiyā Yuu couldn't drink.
He simply disliked the taste.
In his opinion, even cola from a vending machine tasted better than expensive sake.
He stuffed a skewer of grilled vegetables into her mouth.
"It's already around nine. Honestly, I surrender. Aren't you worried about getting a stomachache after eating so much?"
"It's fine~! It's fine~! Alcohol goes into a different stomach!"
—Sora often said desserts and snacks went into a separate stomach. Since when did alcohol have one too?
Kamiyā Yuu laughed and picked up a skewer of grilled meat.
Watching Yūki Chinatsu's satisfied expression felt strangely amusing.
If Morishita Aoi and Uehara Etsuki had played the roles of older sisters over the years, then Yūki Chinatsu was the spoiled younger sister who constantly needed looking after.
With her natural blond twin tails and youthful fashion sense, she looked even younger than Kamiyā Sora.
The troublesome part was that this "little sister" was actually an entire generation older than him.
She loved beer and spoke like a middle-aged man.
After eating and drinking their fill, Kamiyā Yuu helped the drunken Yūki Chinatsu back to Yosuganosora Animation Studio.
There was no rush production underway, so the company was empty.
The building was completely dark, forcing Kamiyā Yuu to turn on the power himself.
With nobody around, he became much bolder.
What had begun as supporting her by the arm turned into carrying her in a princess carry.
Even then, Yūki Chinatsu refused to behave, randomly gnawing at his neck while muttering:
"Not tasty..."
"No flavor..."
"Chinatsu, wake up. Wake up for a moment. We're home."
Kamiyā Yuu opened the office door and set her down on a desk.
Patting her cheeks only earned him a silly grin in return.
With a helpless sigh, he took out bedding from beneath the desk and spread it on the floor.
A short while later, Yūki Chinatsu raised her head groggily.
After staring blankly at her surroundings for a while, she finally realized where she was.
"What? We're already back."
She yawned and slowly headed toward the bedding.
Kamiyā Yuu grabbed her by the collar.
"Since you're awake, go take a bath before sleeping. What's with that alcohol smell?"
"What? I'm tired~ I want to sleep. Such a hassle. Yuu, are you my mom?"
Yūki Chinatsu complained loudly.
Even so, she obediently retrieved a change of clothes from a drawer.
Before leaving, she made a face at him.
"Whoever peeks is a puppy!"
"As if I would actually do that."
Kamiyā Yuu's expression darkened further.
Not only was the company bathroom completely private, but Yūki Chinatsu's small build didn't inspire that kind of interest in him anyway.
After about ten minutes, she returned wearing pink pajamas.
Her cheeks remained flushed, and she still looked absurdly satisfied, though at least her eyes were clearer now.
Kamiyā Yuu waved.
"Then I'm heading home. Call me if anything happens."
Yūki Chinatsu sat down on the bedding and glared at him.
"But we haven't had enough fun yet. Play an FPS with me."
"Sorry. If I don't get back soon, Sora's going to be angry."
Yūki Chinatsu puffed out her cheeks.
As Kamiyā Yuu ignored her and walked toward the door, she suddenly shouted in a tearful voice:
"Sora, Sora, Sora! All you ever think about is Sora! Do you even have room for anyone else in your eyes?!"
"I don't care! Be a little nicer to me, too! You won't even play an FPS with me?"
"I don't care! I don't care!"
"Come on, just one game! FPS games are fun too!"
"Yuu, please! This is a once-in-a-lifetime request!"
Childish tantrum mode activated.
Kamiyā Yuu rubbed his forehead.
"Your life really isn't worth much, is it?"
He sighed.
"Fine. This is the last time. I'll be gone by ten at the latest."
"Hoh~ Hoh~"
Yūki Chinatsu pumped her fists excitedly.
"Here, here! Sit here! Here's your controller. You know how to play, right?"
"Don't underestimate me. I'm much better than you."
"A mere Yuu sure talks big."
Kamiyā Yuu was a gaming enthusiast himself.
Since the game was a popular FPS title, he naturally knew the controls.
The moment he sat down, Yūki Chinatsu immediately burrowed into his arms.
The scent of her body wash mixed faintly with lingering traces of alcohol.
Finding a comfortable position, she nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. Like this. Lower your controller a little. It's blocking my view."
"Yes, yes. Whatever you say."
Kamiyā Yuu shrugged.
He was already used to her behavior.
In public, Yūki Chinatsu constantly acted confrontational toward him.
Once nobody else was around, however, despite maintaining her tsundere tendencies, she unconsciously became much more affectionate.
She had also never been particularly concerned about physical contact with him.
*Bang bang bang bang bang!*
*Bang bang bang!*
*Bang bang bang bang bang!*
Intense gunfire filled the room.
Yūki Chinatsu's FPS skills were terrible.
Without Kamiyā Yuu carrying the team, she would have died countless times.
Yet less than five minutes after the match started, Kamiyā Yuu noticed her character had stopped moving.
Her controller slipped from her hands.
Curled up in his arms, she had already fallen sound asleep.
"Good night, Chinatsu."