"The original 'Fate/Zero's' portrayal of Saber's personality is one of the core threads affecting the entire story. Change one part, and everything else is affected."
"If I revise Saber into the person I envision, then all the subsequent plotlines will have to be extensively rewritten as well."
"Fortunately, the first few episodes don't delve too deeply into Saber's character. Her personality only truly begins to stand out around Episode Seven, and the anime has almost reached that point."
"The King of Conquerors rejects Saber during 'The Holy Grail Dialogue,' and the two clash verbally. Later, during the 'Forbidden Banquet,' it's only after witnessing the brilliance of 'Excalibur' that he finally understands Saber's bearing as a king."
"As for Goldie Sparkle... from the very beginning, he sees through Saber's resolve and ideals. He wants to shatter those ideals and make her his queen. That's a form of humiliation in itself."
"As for Zhao Yun, who replaced the "the original Lancer", he senses Saber's determination from the very beginning. She reminds him of the lord he once served, Liu Bei. Because of that, he naturally ends up standing on Saber's side."
...
"The third volume of the novel..."
"It's finished."
Kamiyā Yuu typed the final character of the 'Holy Grail Dialogue' arc into the manuscript of 'Fate/Zero.'
A deep sense of fulfillment welled up inside him.
This was the Saber he had always envisioned.
Not the young girl clinging to knightly dreams portrayed by Gen Urobuchi.
She was closer to the version described in Kinoko Nasu's 'Garden of Avalon,' yet without becoming as overly ordinary or overly girlish as in 'Fate/stay night.'
Checking the time displayed on his computer, Kamiyā Yuu stretched lazily.
"Ahhh... I can finally take a breather."
"The number of storyboards I need to finish this week isn't too bad. I'll have more than enough time to draw them this afternoon."
It was a little after eleven o'clock, still over half an hour before the usual lunch break.
Feeling slightly hungry, Kamiyā Yuu took out the lunch he had prepared that morning, heated it in the microwave in his office, and began eating.
There was always something strangely familiar about eating his own cooking.
It wasn't that it tasted bad.
Rather, it was simply because he already knew exactly what it was going to taste like from the moment he finished making it.
After finishing his lunch, Kamiyā Yuu picked up the commercial cooperation reports Morishita Aoi had delivered that morning and headed to the production department on another floor.
After thinking for a moment, he also grabbed a bottle of strawberry juice from the beverage refrigerator in the break room.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
Morishita Aoi's serious voice came from inside.
Simply hearing her voice naturally made one picture a stern female superior.
Though... that saying about voices matching appearances wasn't quite accurate.
Smiling to himself, Kamiyā Yuu shook his head.
As expected, when he entered, Morishita Aoi was buried beneath a mountain of paperwork, her expression so serious that she seemed not to have noticed him entering at all.
Morishita Aoi truly embodied the image of a strict female executive.
Although she was very beautiful, that image differed considerably from the type of woman most Japanese men idealized.
Apart from a small handful of people, such as Kamiyā Yuu and Uehara Etsuki, who genuinely understood her personality, her reputation within the company wasn't particularly good.
The male employees kept their distance out of respect—or fear.
The female employees frequently gossiped about her behind her back.
As for the group of women most adored by Japanese men...
There was no question.
It was the so-called JKs—high school girls—who carried far too many of their fantasies.
Morishita Aoi glanced toward the door, her brows knitting slightly.
"Yuu?"
Kamiyā Yuu waved the documents in his hand as he walked over with a smile.
"I finished everything on my end, so I brought these over. Did I interrupt you?"
"Not to that extent."
"But I can't exactly say you didn't."
The corners of Morishita Aoi's lips curved into a faint smile as she set down the document she had been reviewing.
"Perfect. Then consider this my apology."
Kamiyā Yuu placed the reports on her desk before handing her the bottle of strawberry juice.
"Juice?"
Kamiyā Yuu smiled.
"Drinking coffee all the time isn't exactly healthy. It's nice to change things up once in a while."
"I'm not a high school girl."
Morishita Aoi accepted the strawberry juice with a faint smile.
In Japan, drinking sweet bottled juice from vending machines often left people with the impression of being immature.
She unscrewed the cap and took a small sip before making an awkward face.
"It's so sweet."
"You actually like drinks like this?"
Kamiyā Yuu pulled out a chair and sat down, shaking his head.
"I don't have any particular preference when it comes to drinks. As long as they don't taste bad, I'm fine."
"What I drink most often is unsweetened green tea."
"After that, it's the tea that Sensei and Murasaki prepare."
The moment Kamiyā Yuu mentioned Murasaki and Uehara Etsuki, an almost imperceptible trace of discomfort flashed across Morishita Aoi's face.
Noticing the subtle change in her expression, Kamiyā Yuu hesitated before asking with concern,
"Are you alright?"
"I've had the feeling for a while now that you haven't been in very good condition."
"If you're really not feeling well, tell me immediately."
"Or I could give you a few weeks off so you can rest and recover."
"A few weeks?"
Morishita Aoi set the juice aside and covered her mouth with one hand as she chuckled softly.
Resting her chin on her hand atop the desk, the mature beauty on her face briefly gave way to the playful expression of a young girl.
With an amused smile, she looked at Kamiyā Yuu.
"If I leave the company for several weeks..."
"Will you be taking over everything I'm responsible for?"
"Uh..."
Kamiyā Yuu let out an awkward laugh.
Only then did he realize just how little thought he had put into what he had just said.
If Morishita Aoi disappeared from the company for several months, he didn't know whether the company itself would descend into chaos.
He, however, definitely would.
Between writing novels, drawing key animation storyboards, and handling the company's miscellaneous affairs, there was simply no way he could manage everything without cloning himself.
"Don't worry."
"My condition improved after staying overnight at Etsuki's house last time."
Morishita Aoi's expression softened.
Then she looked at Kamiyā Yuu again, a faint trace of puzzlement lingering in her eyes.
Subconsciously touching his face, Kamiyā Yuu asked in confusion,
"Looks like I was worrying over nothing."
"Uh... do I have a grain of rice stuck to my face?"
"No."
"But I feel like you've changed quite a lot, too."
Morishita Aoi paused for a moment before speaking in a nostalgic tone, as though trying to conceal something.
Kamiyā Yuu laughed.
"Compared to when?"
"I was only a second key animator several years ago."
"Now I'm at least a somewhat well-known anime director, right?"
"So you've also picked up Director Takagi's habit of showing off."
Morishita Aoi folded her arms and deliberately sighed.
"Though that's not the kind of change I meant."
"Oh, right."
"Are you free this weekend?"
"Considering how pitifully small my social circle is..."
Kamiyā Yuu answered with a self-deprecating smile.
"I should be free on pretty much any day off."
Other than the people at the company, he hardly had any friends to speak of.
"Then..."
"How about going out for a drink with me on Saturday night?"
"It's been a long time since we've had a drink together."
"Sure."
"Where?"
"The usual place."
Morishita Aoi smiled lightly.
"And you're paying."
"Let's treat it as a celebration for the success of 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica.'"
Kamiyā Yuu spread his hands helplessly.
"Yes, yes."