Chapter 62: Fate/Stay Night DvD

Chapter 62: Fate/Stay Night DvD

While Arturia was momentarily lost in thought, Gilgamesh and Iskandar had already finished a round of lofty “kingly” debate.

Gilgamesh had asserted his stance as a king—unwavering in his principle that no one may lay a finger on his treasures.

Iskandar, on the other hand, boldly declared his desire for a physical body, wearing his domineering ambition and lust for conquest proudly on his sleeve.

According to the script outline, Arturia was supposed to cut in midway, questioning the righteousness of Iskandar’s so-called “conquest.”

But since she’d zoned out at just the wrong time, the King of Conquerors had been forced into an awkward self-Q&A to keep the scene moving.

Finally, after expounding on his thirst for a corporeal form, Iskandar found his chance to throw the ball her way.

"—Hey, Saber, how about you? Let’s hear your wish. It can’t just be me and Archer chatting while you sit there like a stone statue, right?"

A subtle jab. Iskandar wasn’t thrilled with her silence, and he’d made sure she knew it.

"I… see."

Arturia lifted her head calmly, meeting the gaze of the two other kings head-on.

'If this is a contest of ‘bragging’… then fine, I’ll play along.'

Though she loathed self-aggrandizing talk, losing face here wasn’t an option—especially with Lancelot watching from outside.

"I wish to save my homeland. I want to change the fate of Britain’s downfall after my death."

"You wish to change history?"

Iskandar’s tone sharpened.

"Do you mean ‘change destiny’? In other words… to overturn history itself?"

"I want to change the ending where my country perishes after I am gone," Arturia said, voice firm. "I want… to do it all over again."

In the film version of Fate/Stay Night, Saber only stated her wish to save her country—there was no talk of reselecting the king. That gap gave Arturia room to improvise.

Truthfully, she now felt her past self had been far too naïve. Passing Britain to another ruler was nothing more than shirking responsibility… and betraying the knights who had followed her to the very end.

So, if the Holy Grail truly existed—if it could truly grant any wish—then her desire was clear:

"To start over—not for selfish desires, but for my country and my people. To give them a better ending!"

She declared it with pride.

'…Why does this sound exactly like one of those webnovel ‘regression’ plots?'

Behind the camera, Shinji scratched his head, confusion written all over his face.

"King of Knight!! Do you mean to deny the history you yourself created?!" Iskandar’s voice rang out, booming with challenge.

"I only wish to protect my country!"

Arturia roared back with equal volume.

"King of Conquerors, you claim your creed is conquest—‘taking’ and ‘invading,’ correct?"

Her fists clenched tight.

"Then my creed is protection! I will protect my country and my people!"

"Are you saying you’d give your life for your nation?"

Iskandar’s question came sharp.

Arturia, however, allowed herself a small, confident smile.

"It was my country and my people who chose me to be their king. In return, isn’t it only natural that I grant them happiness and peace?"

'You’re not the only ones who can speak in grand, flowery prose. I am, after all, a beloved king. With that as my shield, I will never lose!'

'—Wait. Why do I suddenly have such a strong competitive streak? No, this must be because I’ve been spending too much time around Master! He’s rubbing off on me.'

Arturia resolved to give herself a stern self-reflection once filming wrapped up.

Off-set, the Master in question—Shinji—gave a small approving nod.

From a filming standpoint, she was still being pressed down by the King of Conquerors and the King of Heroes, but compared to the original “two men ganging up on one poor girl” vibe, this was a vast improvement.

At least in terms of presence, Arturia hadn’t fallen behind either of them—and that, for Shinji, was enough.

This scene was important, yes, but in the grand scheme it was just a transition. As long as the three Servants with the most narrative weight exchanged their philosophies on screen, the job was done.

And indeed, as later events would show, the banquet hadn’t shifted anyone’s stance or mindset. Not even their attitudes toward one another had changed much. Iskandar’s scolding remained just that—he still admired Arturia afterward.

If there was any notable change, it was that Gilgamesh had begun to take an interest in her.

But Shinji had never believed the King of Heroes harbored anything like love toward the sword-wielding knight. Not even desire, really. His wish to “obtain” Arturia felt more like adding a rare treasure to his private collection.

After the three kings had finished their long bout of arguing—well, more like bickering—Shinji, satisfied with the timing, called out:

"Cut!"

And with that, the Fate/Zero shooting phase came to an end.

There might be some reshoots later if post-production edits demanded it, but that was a problem for another day.

As soon as the shoot wrapped, Lancelot darted straight to Arturia’s side and unleashed a barrage of praise.

"As expected of my king! To face down those two horrendous monarchs without yielding an inch—I, Lancelot, am truly moved!!"

Unfortunately for him, that compliment landed wrong. Arturia’s fist came down hard on his head.

"‘Without yielding an inch’?! Where exactly are your eyes looking, Lancelot?!"

She continued to grumble while smacking him.

"And Master’s the same! Why did he have to shoot Fate/Stay Night first and put all these restrictions on me? If I could speak freely, there’s no way I’d lose to them!"

But by then Shinji had already taken the day’s footage and left the set.

Even if she wanted to give him a piece of her mind, the chance was gone.

With the filming done, Fate/Zero’s promotion entered a new stage.

The Fate/Stay Night campaign had been rushed, leaving much to be desired in terms of marketing.

But this time was different—Fate/Zero had the success of Fate/Stay Night as its foundation, plus the combined might of Bandai and Time Group handling promotion. For once, Shinji could go all out.

Starting in late December, Type-Moon began releasing daily “gifts”—new visuals, teasers, and behind-the-scenes tidbits—cleverly disguised as holiday presents, cycling through various media partners to build momentum.

And on Christmas Eve, December 24th, the extended edition DVD of Fate/Stay Night officially launched, perfectly timed to catch the wave of holiday shoppers.

For Fate fans, this wasn’t just merchandise—it was the ultimate Christmas gift from Type-Moon.

In truth, extended editions weren’t unusual; theatrical releases were often trimmed for runtime, and directors’ cuts typically just fleshed out character moments or clarified vague plot beats.

However, the Fate/Stay Night extended edition was nothing like the usual fare.

Instead of just tossing in a few extra lines of dialogue or patching up plot holes, this version was a full thirty minutes longer—and a staggering eighty percent of that was pure, glorious fight scenes.

The crown jewel? Two long-awaited battles: Saber’s one-on-one duel with the Kojirou, and Archer’s clash with Berserker.

The first fight finally gave audiences a proper look at Assassin—no longer just a name buried in theater-version dialogue—and also answered a lingering question: why didn’t Shirou bring Saber with him to school when he went to find Shinji? The answer was simple—she’d drained too much mana and was resting at home.

The second fight didn’t fill in any plot gaps like the first, but it did finally let fans see Archer’s true power. No longer just a smug pretty-boy who talked a big game, this was a man who could back up every last boast with steel and skill.

That said, Shinji wasn’t holding his breath about Archer winning a sudden wave of fans from the extended cut. In this pre–high-speed internet era, extended editions mostly circulated among existing diehards; they rarely had the reach to overhaul a character’s public image.

But what really sent the fandom into a frenzy wasn’t even the movie itself—it was the bonus tucked inside the DVD: the very first trailer for Fate/Zero.

The trailer was barebones—just a shot of Kiritsugu summoning Saber, with the other Servants flashing briefly across the screen—but that alone was enough to drive fans wild.

Nobody had expected to see a sequel so soon. In the public’s mind, a film of this caliber wasn’t something you pumped out year after year. Even without the “ten years in the making” mystique, people figured they’d be waiting at least two or three years. Yet here it was—barely a year later, the second Fate film was already on the horizon.

Type-Moon didn’t stop there. They launched an official Fate/Zero website, not just showcasing the film to the world, but actively engaging with fans who logged in—answering questions, chatting, and, frankly, selling the movie with the energy of a street vendor hawking fresh fish.

In this world, filmmakers prided themselves on being aloof “artists.” They rarely, if ever, stooped to mingle with the common audience. But Type-Moon? They tore down the wall, planting their flag in this new territory of creator–fan interaction.

Worldwide Fate fans—“Moon cell cultists,” as some called themselves—couldn’t quite put into words what made Type-Moon feel different, but they all agreed on one thing: they liked this approachable, talkative version of a film studio far more than the cold, untouchable norm.

Then came December 31, 2003.

The Fate/Zero official site posted a massive countdown banner: the next trailer would premiere at exactly 00:00:00 on January 1, 2004—Japan Standard Time, of course.

Time zones? Technicalities. Nobody cared. All they wanted was to see that trailer now.

Fans flooded the comment section with an avalanche of excited posts. The board refreshed every minute, a constant tide of hype.

If you want to see more chapter of this story and don't mind paying $5 each month to read till the latest posted chapter, please go to my Patreon

Current Chapter In Patreon: Chapter 279: Kariya: I’ll Take Back My Dignity as an Uncle!

Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/132010309?collection=31097

https://www.patreon.com/collection/31097?view=expanded