NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Who Is This Man in the Blue Tight Suit?
From a cinematic perspective, Gilgamesh's sudden appearance as the final boss was a bit abrupt.
After all, the movie had limited runtime, and to ensure a good viewing experience for the audience, it was common to introduce the final boss at the beginning, and in many superhero movies, this character was even featured the subtitles.
Even if there were plot twists later on, at least this character would appear early in the story, giving the audience time to become familiar with them.
However, Shinji's Fate/Stay Night didn't follow this convention; Gilgamesh made a grand entrance without any prior introduction.
There was no buildup, no foreshadowing, he simply appeared on the big screen.
Because Shinji believed that Gilgamesh's character was meant to be abrupt to provide the audience with the strongest impact and to ensure they remembered him.
"Who is this arrogant guy?"
Indeed, at the moment of Gilgamesh's entrance, the audience was captivated by him.
Just his golden armor, which shone so brightly that it illuminated the entire theater like daylight, was enough to make Gilgamesh stand out.
"It seems like he's the final boss, after all. What an unexpected twist," Natsu commented, his mouth twitching slightly. "The director of this movie really likes to play with unexpected plot twists."
From the beginning of the movie, Natsu had been speculating about how it would conclude, specifically, which Servant Saber would face off against in the final battle.
He initially ruled out Rider, as this character seemed more like a mid-boss no matter how you looked at it.
Lancer also had potential; it wasn't uncommon for the initial antagonist to become the final adversary in a similar plot. However, Natsu felt that Lancer lacked the aura of a final boss.
In Natsu's eyes, Berserker had the highest probability of being the final opponent.
Hercules, the legendary Greek hero known for his incredible strength, had the appearance and aura fitting of a final boss.
Little did he know that this "Legendary Hero" would be killed off by the main and female lead.
Until Gilgamesh's entrance, Natsu had thought that the final showdown might be Saber against Caster.
The movie had hinted at Caster's alliance with Assassin earlier, and a battle where Saber faced a 2-on-1 situation against them would have been exciting.
However, the plot took an unexpected turn.
Upon returning to the Emiya residence, the protagonist's group fell into an ambush by Caster, a mysterious woman concealed in a hood who intended to make Saber her Servant.
Before the audience could understand what was happening and before the on-screen Shirou Emiya could make a decision, Gilgamesh burst onto the scene.
In just a few minutes, the entire yard of the Emiya residence, along with a part of the house, turned into rubble. The mysterious beauty Caster, who had appeared for less than five minutes, was turned into minced meat. But the audience didn't want to know what was going on; they just wanted to applaud and cheer.
The adrenaline rush from the intense visuals and explosions, combined with the light pollution, made them ecstatic.
Gilgamesh's awe-inspiring performance conquered the audience as soon as he made his move.
"How can Saber defeat such a powerful enemy like Gilgamesh?"
Gilgamesh's strength was evident, and while Saber was exceptionally skilled, she felt powerless against the torrential rain of Noble Phantasms.
Even before reaching Gilgamesh, she was already better and half-kneeling on the ground.
However, Gilgamesh remained effortlessly in control, raising his hand to prepare for another Noble Phantasm attack, casting a shadow of death over the protagonist's group.
At this moment, Shirou Emiya once again stepped forward, ready to use his projection Noble Phantasm to confront Gilgamesh.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the Unlimited Blade Works (UBW) route's Shirou, and he lacked the projection skills of a certain man from the past. He only managed to project the Stone Sword before Gilgamesh struck him down, leaving him severely injured.
Just when the audience outside the screen began to despair, Shirou's entire magecraft Circuits were fully activated, projecting the EX-ranked Noble Phantasm hidden within him – Avalon.
Despite Gilgamesh's numerous Noble Phantasms, he couldn't penetrate the relatively small golden sheath of the sword, so he had no choice but to retreat in frustration.
Although Gilgamesh's screen time from his entrance to his exit didn't exceed 15 minutes, he had portrayed the character of the King of Heroes perfectly.
The audience was highly satisfied with this ultimate movie boss, and even after his departure, they continued to discuss him.
Some of the viewers, particularly the fans of Saber who had seen Gilgamesh as a thorn in their side, even applauded when they saw him being outwitted.
"Wow... It looks like my modifications worked well," Shinji nodded slightly as he observed the audience's reactions.
While the beginning of this scene with Caster's entrance was a direct adaptation of the Fate route's game plot, the ending was his own adaptation.
However, due to the limited runtime of the film, there was no room for a romantic subplot between Shirou and Saber. So, Shinji merged Gilgamesh's first two appearances into one.
In most commercial films, it was natural for the main characters to end up together after going through the adventure together, so omitting the dating subplot didn't feel too abrupt.
Still, Shinji left some dignity for Gilgamesh. When Shirou projected Avalon, Gilgamesh didn't use Enuma Elish (EA), and the attack rebounded by Avalon didn't hit him.
Compared to being injured and retreating, Gilgamesh's departure in the movie appeared more like a voluntary exit. After all, he was the final boss of the film, and Shinji wanted to give him some face and prestige before Saber defeated him with a single strike.
"Gilgamesh is really handsome!" A girl's admiration reached Shinji from the back row. "Is he an idol?"
Hearing this, Shinji's mind began to churn.
Gilgamesh's good looks were undeniable, and his appearance had caught the attention of the audience. Leaving aside his unbearable personality, in terms of looks, Shinji had to admit that Gilgamesh surpassed him.
"This guy's face... might be useful for something."
Shinji tapped the notebook he carried with him, and a promotional plan for the film started forming in his mind.
In the Tokyo preview screening room, Aoko was sitting in her seat, muttering, "That Heroic Spirit named Gilgamesh looks so powerful. I really want to fight him..."
"Shut up!" Alice snapped, not knowing how many times she had been interrupted during the movie.
'It's decided. After the movie is released, I'm going to watch it again alone'
With an expressionless face, Alice made this decision.
The movie on the screen had not ended yet. Gilgamesh had only retreated, not been defeated. As the protagonist, Saber would have to confront him directly in a King vs. King showdown.
As for the male protagonist, Shirou Emiya played the role of a typical female lead in most commercial films – being kidnapped by the antagonist and waiting for Saber to come to his rescue.
Fortunately, there was Cu Chulainn, who still has his bottom line as one of the heroes whose feat transcribed in the annals of history, and he helped the male and female leads escape from danger.
"Hmph."
Seeing himself once again on the screen, Cu Chulainn proudly puffed out his chest.
Considering how Yan Qing and EMIYA had their roles cut by three-quarters, he still had a lot of presence.
"Archer, Assassin, don't envy me. After all, in the extended edition, they'll add your scenes back in~ Hahaha~" Cu Chulainn laughed as he covered his mouth, addressing EMIYA and the Assassin.
"Who is this guy? Does he even have a role?"
"Didn't this guy appear at the beginning? It feels like a blast from the past."
"Hey, they should have given more screen time to Gilgamesh instead of this guy in the tight blue suit. Gilgamesh is way cooler."
...
The conversation of the audience in the front row made Cu Chulainn's face darken.
"Ha!"
EMIYA chuckled, feeling quite pleased with himself after being mocked by Cu Chulainn earlier.
"You should have appeared on screen, or else the audience would have forgotten about you."
"It's better than you! You basically disappeared halfway through!" Cu Chulainn retorted, grabbing the other's neck for revenge.
"You two, stop it," Yan Qing intervened, kicking Cu Chulainn's leg a few times while trying to calm them down. The scene became quite chaotic for a moment.
The antics of the heroic spirits in the back row didn't catch the attention of the front row audience. Their focus was entirely on the movie's final battle.
Saber and Shirou rushed into Ryuudou Temple, where they would face the strongest Heroic Spirit, Gilgamesh, and the priest, Kirei Kotomine.
The theater fell completely silent, and the audience was glued to the screen, eager to see how the main characters would defeat their enemies. This unprecedented movie was about to reach its conclusion.
In the end, director Shinji Matou didn't disappoint them. He delivered an incredibly exciting final battle for the audience.
Although Saber and Shirou were initially no match for their opponents and were on the defensive throughout the first half of the fight, when the most dangerous moment arrived, they both unleashed their full power and turned the tide of the battle using Avalon.
"Ex-calibur!"
With Saber's roar, the Golden Blade of Victory cleaved Gilgamesh in two.
Meanwhile, on the other side, Shirou Emiya used a short sword to pierce the priest after removing the black mud from his sheath.
"Some might find this plot a bit cliché..."
This was a viewer who suspected the plot of a forced turnaround.
"The bond between master and servant is so touching..."
This was a viewer completely immersed in the movie.
"Can magecraft really be used like that?"
This was some mundane world viewer who understood how the magecraft worked.
Whether it was cliché or heartwarming, the audience deep down all wanted to see the main characters defeat the villains. It was the satisfying, happy ending they hoped for.
However, Shinji Matou, the director, wasn't going to give these viewers what they expected.
As the Holy Grail War came to an end, and the sun rose once again, Saber, as a Heroic Spirit, bid farewell to her master with a smile.
"Shirou..."
Calling her master's name, the blue-clad knight disappeared into the sunlight along with the wind.
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