At eleven o'clock on Saturday night, the anime 'Fate/Zero' aired simultaneously worldwide.
Of course, television broadcasting was only available in Japan. Overseas, it was mainly distributed through synchronized online streaming. This was true whether on Fakebook, the largest social platform in Europe and America, or 'BIUBIUBIU,' the newly rising bullet-comment video site in China.
Compared with 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica,' 'Fate/Zero' had a broader audience. It was like comparing a literary film hailed as a masterpiece to a Hollywood blockbuster. No matter how highly praised the literary film was, in most cases, its box office would struggle to surpass that of a Hollywood-style blockbuster.
'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' targeted viewers who already had a certain amount of anime experience. Those viewers had grown tired of Japanese anime conventions, which was why they were so shocked by its story. Since Japan was an anime powerhouse, it created an extremely widespread impact there.
Overseas, however, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' was merely the best Japanese anime. Quite a lot of people liked it, but quite a lot of people couldn't even get through the first episode. For viewers encountering anime for the first time, 'Puella Magi Madoka Magica' was not a particularly good choice.
The anime 'Fate/Zero' was much easier for ordinary people to accept. Whether it was the freshness of its premise or its captivating plot, both made it hard to stop watching. Moreover, Yosuganosora Animation Studio's consistently excellent animation, together with Heroic Spirit battles that were no less spectacular than 'RWBY,' were also major highlights.
...
The city's harbor was devastated.
The solid concrete ground looked as though it had been bombarded by meteorites, leaving craters large and small everywhere. Dense, spiderweb-like cracks extended from those holes across the entire street, flipping up the concrete slabs that formed the road.
In the distance, towering walls seemed to have been struck by some unknown force and had collapsed into rubble. Shattered stones and clouds of dust were scattered everywhere.
The containers stacked at the dock had fared even worse. Hundreds of containers had been overturned by violent winds, their surfaces clearly marked by cuts from sharp weapons. Others had been crushed into scrap metal, as if flattened by a million-ton hammer.
The atmosphere was heavy.
In the ruins of the harbor, three Heroic Spirits stood on guard.
Suddenly, golden radiance gathered atop a harbor streetlamp.
Soon, a blond young man wearing ancient golden armor appeared. The golden glow shining from his armor was so dazzling that it transformed vulgar extravagance into splendor.
Standing atop the streetlamp, he looked down arrogantly and indifferently at the three Heroic Spirits below. His crimson eyes were filled with contempt as he sneered calmly,
"Two vermin who dared call themselves kings behind my back have crawled out in a single night. You are no different from clowns in a circus."
Standing on his chariot below, the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, turned around, displeased, and looked up at the blond Heroic Spirit.
"Now that truly pains this king. I, Iskandar, am the only peerless King of Conquerors in all the world. As a participant in the Holy Grail War, you can't possibly be unaware of that name. In other words, even knowing this king's name, you still think I am no different from a circus clown?"
Aside from majesty, there was not the slightest ripple of emotion in the blond Heroic Spirit's dark red eyes.
"For a mere clown, you at least possess some self-awareness. In this world, the only hero truly worthy of being called king is myself. The rest are nothing but mongrels pretending to belong."
The blond Heroic Spirit's arrogant tone instead made the King of Conquerors grow more cautious.
He extended his hand toward the Heroic Spirit standing on the streetlamp in a gesture resembling an invitation, while his voice carried a trace of displeased questioning.
"Since your tone is so grand, why not state your name first? If you were once a king and once guided your own nation and people, your former glory shouldn't make you ashamed to speak your own name, should it? Or are you afraid to reveal your name, just like the mongrels you speak of?"
The blond Heroic Spirit stood with his arms folded. Faced with the King of Conquerors' provocative mockery, he did not show the slightest anger.
"Are you trying to anger me? A mere clown should properly fulfill a clown's duty and entertain me. To have the fortune of beholding me, yet fail to know my name... such a fool has no right to continue living."
The blond Heroic Spirit smiled disdainfully.
Then golden ripples spread through the void behind him. The sparkling light made the hearts of every Heroic Spirit present tremble. From within the golden vortexes, two tangible weapons slowly emerged.
Noble Phantasms.
The strongest weapons of Heroic Spirits.
"I see. So those were the two Noble Phantasms you used to kill the Assassin. Judging from their aura, they are quite powerful. In that case, you must surely be a famous figure from history or legend."
The King of Conquerors, Iskandar, stared gravely at the Noble Phantasms emerging from the golden vortexes.
Although he had the image of a brute, as one of the four most famous military commanders in European history, his wisdom absolutely could not be underestimated. At some point, his right hand had already gripped a broadsword, ready to meet the unknown Heroic Spirit's attack.
Not far away, Saber's sacred blue eyes narrowed when she saw the blond Heroic Spirit reveal his Noble Phantasms. With a light leap backward, she returned to the side of her nominal Master, Irisviel.
"So that's his Noble Phantasm."
From the upper floor of a building far from the battlefield, the cold-faced middle-aged man Emiya Kiritsugu observed the blond Heroic Spirit through the night-vision scope of his sniper rifle.
On the other side, Lancer Zhao Yun watched the blond Heroic Spirit standing on the lamp post with a solemn gaze and a slight frown.
Among many Heroic Spirits, someone who acted so arrogantly and unhesitatingly pointed weapons at other Heroic Spirits to declare war was either foolish or absolutely confident in his own strength.
No.
Even if he possessed absolute confidence in his own strength, that arrogance was still unwise.
If he truly had overwhelming power and exposed it openly, then the blond Heroic Spirit's only outcome would be to become the target of every Heroic Spirit.
Before the Heroic Spirits present revealed their trump cards, Zhao Yun had no intention of acting rashly.
The blond Heroic Spirit snorted disdainfully. The golden vortexes behind him shifted position, and the two Noble Phantasms extending from them lowered their aim. The sharp spear blade and sword tip locked onto the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, standing on his chariot.
"Mongrel, remember my name well before you die. I am the oldest King of Heroes in human history—Gilgamesh!"
The blond Heroic Spirit proudly declared his identity.
But just as the spear blade was about to fly from the golden vortex, his expression froze. The golden vortexes turned away at even greater speed.
"Kill him!"
In some unknown dark corner, a pale-haired, middle-aged man with a savage expression spoke with hatred.
Boom!
The two Noble Phantasms turned into golden streaks of light and shot down a huge container flying in from the distance.
A black shadow standing atop the container leapt down into the center of the Heroic Spirit battlefield. It raised its head slightly, completely covered by armor. Beneath the helmet, its dark red eyes contained nothing but madness.
Berserker!
It wore ancient English armor, but the black armor was shrouded in eerie black smoke that radiated an ominous aura. Along with the painful, suppressed groans coming from within the armor, the black smoke spread outward.
The explosive atmosphere was interrupted by the sudden arrival of the pitch-black knight. Its violent aura made the hearts of the Heroic Spirits present grow even heavier.
Standing with his spear in hand, Zhao Yun looked at the King of Conquerors, Iskandar, with a half-smile.
"What a surprise. Five Heroic Spirits have appeared tonight. Tell me, King of Conquerors, forget the fellow covered in gold sparkles for now—do you not plan to recruit this one?"
The King of Conquerors relaxed his grip on his broadsword and sighed at Zhao Yun's teasing.
"Even if I wanted to, he doesn't look like someone easy to communicate with."
"Waver, what level does this fellow count as among Servants?"
Beside him, the King of Conquerors' Master, Waver Velvet, shook his head in confusion and unease.
"I don't know. I can't see it at all."
"What? You're at least this king's Master. Pull yourself together. You should at least be able to see his general attributes or what he's good at."
"I really can't see it! This black guy is definitely a Servant, but I can't see even the slightest trace of his class or identity!"
Waver Velvet replied agitatedly.
...
In Saber's camp, Irisviel nervously shrank back and said weakly,
"It looks like another troublesome enemy has appeared."
Saber tightened both hands around her invisible sword and nodded cautiously in agreement.
"That Heroic Spirit seems to possess a curse or ability that conceals his identity."
...
In a distant building, Maiya Hisau had been observing the situation through the night-vision scope of her sniper rifle. She asked in confusion,
"Why would he materialize at a time like this?"
Emiya Kiritsugu frowned and replied,
"To have a Heroic Spirit charge so recklessly into a chaotic battle, we can only assume the opposing Master has an unusual way of thinking."
"Maiya, continue watching Assassin. I'll search for Berserker's Master."
...
The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, glanced once at Zhao Yun. His calm gaze then returned to Berserker, who had suddenly attacked him.
More golden vortexes appeared behind him, and one powerful Noble Phantasm after another extended from them, aiming at Berserker on the ground.
"Pay for the crime of disrespecting me by having your body torn to pieces, mad dog."
Before the watching Heroic Spirits even had time to marvel at the astonishing sight, more than a dozen Noble Phantasms shot out of the golden vortexes like cannon shells.
Swords, spears, axes, halberds, and other Noble Phantasms sliced through the air, their edges producing piercing shrieks.
Boom, boom, boom, boom!
A chain of explosions erupted. The pitiful ground suffered another round of impact, and countless flying stones shot in all directions like bullets.
The Heroic Spirits immediately moved in front of their Masters, protecting them from the scattered debris.
The tremendous shockwave kicked up a cloud of dust around Berserker, hiding his black figure.
"Those Noble Phantasms... What is going on with that destructive power?"
Saber held her invisible sword before her. The hurricane around it blocked all the flying stones, yet she was still amazed by the destructive force of those Noble Phantasms.
Zhao Yun casually knocked away the stones with his spear and said with interest,
"Is that fellow truly Berserker? His martial prowess and composure are practically those of a warrior who has experienced a hundred battles."
Standing beside him on his chariot, the King of Conquerors lowered the red cloak he had used to shield his Master and sighed.
"Although he has gone mad and lost his reason, his skill is quite impressive. He was probably a famous warrior in life who engraved combat instincts into his body. That's why he can deal with such attacks so easily."
"Huh?"
Waver Velvet asked in confusion. From the perspective of an ordinary person like him, he had no idea what had just happened.
The King of Conquerors, Iskandar, pondered and said,
"What, you didn't see it just now? That black knight easily grabbed the sword flying toward him, then knocked down every Noble Phantasm that followed. Even I must admit I'm inferior to his judgment of timing."
The smoke dispersed.
Berserker, shrouded in black smoke, walked out slowly.
In his hand, the Noble Phantasm he had seized was covered in red cracks and wrapped in the black smoke surrounding him, gradually being corroded.
Around the black knight lay damaged Noble Phantasms everywhere.
Swords had been snapped.
Axes had been knocked away.
Halberd shafts had been split in two.
The destroyed Noble Phantasms glowed with golden light before gradually sublimating and vanishing.
Gilgamesh, who had always maintained a majestic calm, finally showed signs of anger. The gaze with which he looked down upon the black knight was no longer composed.
"How dare you defile my Noble Phantasm with your filthy hands. Mad dog, are you so eager to exit the stage?"
Behind Gilgamesh, hundreds of golden vortexes appeared. They covered the sky, shining even brighter than the river of stars in the night. Within every vortex emerged a Noble Phantasm, each one radiating an even stronger aura than before, their number and quality far surpassing the previous volley.
"How is that possible?"
Waver Velvet stared in disbelief.
Noble Phantasms were born from a Heroic Spirit's legend. Usually, a Heroic Spirit would not possess more than a few. Gilgamesh had already been shocking enough when he fired more than a dozen Noble Phantasms earlier.
Now, the number had suddenly increased to several hundred, and both quantity and quality had climbed another level.
Every Heroic Spirit and Master present was startled by the sudden appearance of so many golden vortexes.
"Let me see just how long that habit of touching what is mine can last."
...
Chūnibyō King... no, the King of Heroes, Gilgamesh.
The final winner of 'Fate/Zero.'
A character with the setting of being basically invincible once he got serious.
The beloved son of Kinoko Nasu and Gen Urobuchi.
In any case, Kamiyā Yuu had still modified this character somewhat.
The King of Heroes, Gilgamesh, had different portrayals in different works.
In 'Fate/Zero,' he was Chūni-Gil.
In 'Fate/stay night,' he was Idiot-Gil.
In 'Fate/hollow ataraxia' and the side-story anime 'Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya,' he appeared as a rather considerate young Shota-Gil.
In 'Fate/strange fake,' he was Adult-Gil. It was worth mentioning that the original was a novel written by Ryohgo Narita, the author of 'Baccano!' and 'Durarara!!.' That author was extremely skilled at ensemble casts and tended to highlight the charm of every character, so the Gilgamesh he wrote could hardly turn out badly.
Finally, there was the omniscient and omnipotent Gilgamesh from 'Fate/Extra CCC,' who could use the Noble Phantasm 'Sha Naqba Imuru' and had seen his parallel-world selves through it, even classifying his version in 'Fate/stay night' as a black mark on his history.
As for official parody works like 'Carnival Phantasm,' there was no need to mention them further. In those, every character was basically an idiot.
If these versions of Goldie Sparkle were ranked, it would probably be Omniscient-Gil, Adult-Gil, Chūni-Gil, and Idiot-Gil.
Chūni-Gil's performance in 'Fate/Zero' was not particularly good.
Kamiyā Yuu blended Adult-Gil's personality into him to create a Goldie Sparkle who was not so irritating and who genuinely possessed the bearing of a king.
Although he was still a bit chūnibyō, at the very least, he would not give off the impression of reckless arrogance without thought.
The Gilgamesh of 'Fate/Zero' was full of contradictions. Sometimes he was calm and intelligent, while at other times he was irritable and chūnibyō. During the first confrontation, his angry appearance combined with chūnibyō lines made him seem more like a clown who fancied himself a king.