The second chapter of Fate/Zero's begins with the various Servants noticing a strange disturbance along the shoreline.
Triggered by an immense surge of magical energy from the Fuyuki River, all the other Masters and Servants turned their attention to the source and began to converge on the scene.
Saber, Artoria Pendragon, arrived riding a peculiar alchemical vehicle. This was a prototype motorcycle personally designed by Edward, though it clearly wasn't functional in the conventional sense—its operation relied entirely on a massive external injection of magical energy.
At the same time, Rider Iskandar and Lancer Diarmuid also appeared from the opposite end of the site.
"Just as expected—it's Caster," someone muttered.
Everyone turned toward the sea.
Caster, Gilles de Rais, stood atop the water's surface. Beneath him, countless grotesque and deformed shadows writhed in the depths—monsters clearly summoned by his magic.
Judging by the extraordinary release of magical power, it was obvious that Gilles was enacting a massive ritual, the effects of which cloaked the entire area in a thick fog.
"Welcome, my Saint. It is my greatest honor to see you once again."
His words were courteous, but upon hearing them, Artoria's eyes burned with fury.
"You unrepentant demon! What new madness are you planning tonight?"
"I'm terribly sorry, Jeanne. You're not the guest of honor at tonight's banquet. However, should you choose to grace us with your presence, I'd be overjoyed. I, Gilles de Rais, humbly invite you to a feast of death and corruption—please, enjoy yourself to the fullest!"
As Gilles' words fell, the dark surface beneath his feet began to churn.
The horde of monsters beneath him unleashed a multitude of tentacles that shot upward and swallowed Caster whole as he stood cloaked atop them.
"Caster's been consumed?!"
Artoria shuddered at the sight. In her eyes, the magical beasts surrounding the summoner continued to multiply in number.
Amidst it all, Gilles burst into maniacal laughter and screamed into the fog-shrouded night:
"Now, we shall raise high the banner of the savior once more!"
"Outcasts—gather to me! The despised—gather to me!"
"I shall command you! Lead you! Our wrath, the wrath of the oppressed, shall be delivered unto the gods!"
"O Lord in heaven! I shall cleanse sin in Your name!"
"O arrogant gods! O cold-hearted gods! We shall drag you down from your thrones!"
"Beloved lambs of God! You, made in His image, shall be defiled and torn apart by us!"
"The laughter of us rebels shall echo alongside the cries of God's own child, opening the gates to Heaven!"
Under this terrifying proclamation, a massive sea demon suddenly erupted from the ocean.
Its horrifying form could be felt even through the screen—it was so vivid that everyone in the audience felt a primal fear deep in their bones.
. . . . . .
Back in the theater, the audience completely erupted upon witnessing Caster's full summoning of the monstrous sea demon.
Compared to the rushed and confusing conclusion of the previous episode, everyone now fully grasped the scale of what had just been summoned—an entity capable of annihilating the entire world.
"So this is Caster's true power—his Noble Phantasm?"
"Does anyone remember the lore book? What was Caster's Noble Phantasm again?"
"I think it was called Prelati's Spellbook—a grimoire bound in human skin, capable of summoning and commanding demons from the deep sea."
"Deep-sea demon? This thing is basically a deep-sea demon god!"
"How can something like that be summoned out of nowhere? That's ridiculous!"
"Can the other Servants even stand a chance against such a terrifying existence?"
"The whole city might be doomed…"
Voices erupted from all corners of the cinema. Everyone was utterly shaken by the appearance of Caster's sea demon. It was as though even their souls had been touched by the horror.
On the other side, members of Edward's production team were just as shocked, quickly turning to him and asking in a rush:
"How did you film something like that? Is it really a deep-sea demon god?"
Seeing everyone's stunned expressions, Edward simply shook his head in silence and turned his gaze toward Latisha in the distance.
Latisha, catching his look, had a faint glint in her eyes beneath the black hood of her robe. She responded calmly:
"It was summoned to help out through a sacrificial ritual. At the end of the day, it's just a low-ranking demon. It won't cause too much of an impact, nor will it attract their attention."
"A… low-ranking demon?"
The term left everyone present slightly stunned.
After all, in human understanding, the sixth rank was already considered the peak of power. No one had imagined that there were even deeper levels beyond that.
But what caught Edward's attention even more was Latisha's mention of "their attention."
From her tone, it was clear she was referring to beings that even someone of her level had to be wary of.
However, Latisha clearly had no intention of elaborating further. With a calm wave of her hand, she said:
"There are things best left unknown when the time isn't right."
"…"
Hearing Latisha's words, Edward and the others had no choice but to suppress their growing curiosity and drop the matter.
…
Elsewhere, Emperor Hubbard and his young daughter, Amy, were clearly just as shocked by the monster on screen. He turned hurriedly to Wilhelm beside him and asked:
"Does such a creature actually exist? If it were to attack the Empire, could we defend against it?"
Wilhelm paused to consider the question before slowly replying:
"The power of knights alone would not be enough. We'd likely have to rely on the Arch Mages of the Mage's Tower. Only they might stand a chance at destroying something like that."
"Hmm…"
Emperor Hubbard nodded. He clearly understood that the true foundation of the Empire's current strength lay in the small portion of humanity that wielded magic.
This truth brought him both comfort and disappointment.
But he also understood that changing such a reality was likely something he wouldn't live to see.
. . . . .
In a dark corner of the cinema—
"That thing actually exists?"
The Oracle felt a chill run through his entire body. Likewise, Juno was on high alert, her instincts flaring like bristled fur.
Beastkin possessed an innate sense for danger—a primal intuition to perceive threats and fear.
At this moment, both the Oracle and Juno were deeply shaken by the monstrous being on screen.
"To think they could summon such a terrifying demon… The Human Empire truly harbors powers beyond our comprehension!"
The Oracle clenched his fists tightly as he spoke with conviction.
He was now more convinced than ever that this journey had been of unimaginable value.
<+>
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