Starting as a Manga Editor-Chapter 87: Anxious

In Tang Yao’s previous life, Fate/Zero was a canonical prequel to the main Fate storyline.
Its setting and characters were tightly aligned—but when it came to the core of the Fate universe, it still couldn’t quite match the stories personally penned by Kinoko Nasu.
Even so, Gen Urobuchi had undeniably left his own mark on the Fate series through this work.
You could argue that some Heroic Spirit settings were off, that power scaling didn’t quite add up.
But there was no denying it—Urobuchi, with his bold and distinctive style, brought something different to Fate.
Rather than stats, combat strength, or mechanical logic—
Urobuchi focused more on causality and fate.
And Lancer (Diarmuid Ua Duibhne) was a textbook example.
Summoned with loyalty and honor, he ended up repeating his tragic mythological fate: ordered to take his own life by his Master.
Even his Master—Kayneth El-Melloi—fit the theme.
In a bid to impress his fiancée, he brought her to Fuyuki… only for her to fall in love with Lancer.
Cruel.
And ironic.
This distinctive sense of inevitability was exactly what made Fate/Zero feel so much more mature than its counterparts.
And as for Kiritsugu Emiya—the closest thing Fate/Zero had to a protagonist?
Well, he too was headed straight toward his destined conclusion.
Of course… they hadn’t reached that part in the manga yet.
But Lancer’s end had already arrived.
And that alone had left readers of this world absolutely stunned.
It couldn’t be helped—
It was just too shocking.
No one had expected that to be Lancer’s fate.
In the latest chapter of Fate/Zero, the first half featured the glorious debut of Saber’s Noble Phantasm: Excalibur.
Fans were hyped.
But as they scrolled down—
They were hit with Lancer’s infamous “E-rank luck” moment.
Just as Saber and Lancer were poised for a proper one-on-one duel—
Kiritsugu, off on the sidelines, was secretly forcing Kayneth into a command seal agreement.
In the end, Kayneth gave in, using all remaining Command Seals to make Lancer take his own life.
Lancer, once the epitome of knightly grace and dignity, died cursing everyone around him.
His refined face twisted with rage, spewing hateful condemnation at all present.
Readers were floored.
It came out of nowhere.
They were promised a fair fight!
Hell, the duel had already started!
And yet… this? This was the outcome?
For readers in this world, it was completely unprecedented.
With its inventive systems, distinct characters, and breakneck pacing, Fate/Zero had already opened readers’ eyes.
Each new chapter brought intense debates:
Were the characters' choices justified? Which Heroic Spirits were strongest? Were the tactics optimal?
Every development built on the last, pushing discussion to new heights.
And this chapter—with Lancer’s forced suicide and Kiritsugu’s ruthless tactics—shot the series’ popularity to an even greater peak.
When Li Xue said publishers were salivating over Fate/Zero, she wasn’t just trying to comfort Tang Yao.
It was absolutely true.
The manga…
was on fire.
On the largest anime and manga forum in the country, readers were still flooding the board with posts about the latest chapter:
“WTF… forcing a Heroic Spirit to kill himself?? Then murdering the Master afterward?? Kiritsugu is seriously messed up!”
“Lancer’s death speech was brutal. All he wanted was a fair fight, and he died just like in his legend—killed by his own Master…”
“Aaaahhh Three-Star Mangaka!! You’re a monster!! Saber was shocked, and Lancer thought she was in on it too!”
“Incredible storytelling… now I really want to know how this ends. Does Kiritsugu actually save humanity?”
“No clue, I just want the next chapter already!! Weekly updates feel way too slow!”
“Lancer bro… you really died the worst. Unlucky till the end…”
“…”
It had been a few days since the latest chapter dropped—
But reader discussion still raged on.
Until…
That momentum suddenly shifted.
Because among Fate/Zero’s legions of passionate fans, there were quite a few who checked the official Avalon Studio website regularly—just in case something new dropped.
And today?
Happened to be the day the beta test questionnaire went live.
It didn’t take long before a reader made a post:
“Wait… when I opened the Fate/Zero site today, a survey popped up? It’s asking for contact info?”
“Same here! What’s this?”
“Why are all the questions game-related??”
“…”
Soon enough, the survey overtook all story discussions as the forum’s hot topic.
Because let’s be real—it was weird.
A manga site, suddenly tossing up a questionnaire about gaming habits?
Whether readers played mobile games? What kinds?
People started speculating.
And the intent behind Avalon’s questionnaire was so transparent, it didn’t take long for readers to figure it out.
Wait a sec…
Is Fate/Zero… becoming a game??
One reader even wrote a lengthy, well-thought-out post:
“It’s gotta be a game. That Fate/Zero site’s been up for a while now.
Those gorgeous character illustrations? There’s no way someone made that just for a manga.
But there’s been zero news about an anime adaptation…”
“Now with this survey?
Come on. The writing’s on the wall.”
“That said… I have no idea what kind of game they could possibly make.
If we go by current online games… it sounds kind of awful, honestly.”
That post immediately shot to the top of the forum.
Not because it was especially well-written—
But because it gave confused readers a place to gather and discuss.
And boy did they show up.
But most reactions weren’t hopeful.
In fact…
You could say they were worried.
While this world didn’t have the same public stigma around games being “digital drugs” (thanks to strict age verification systems), there was still a mental gap between comics and online games.
Especially since there hadn’t been any games specifically tailored to anime-loving audiences yet.
Readers had nothing to compare it to—
So their only reference was the current crop of generic online games.
Which… didn’t fit Fate/Zero at all.
It just felt… wrong.
So worry began to spread.
Some people, in their frustration, even claimed this would ruin the IP:
“A game? No, please… that sounds boring.”
“Why though?? Why do this?? Who thought this was a good idea??”
“Is it going to be an online game or something?
Please don’t, Three-Star-sensei! The manga is already amazing!
If anything, just go for an anime adaptation—or release volumes! I’ll buy them!
Just don’t license it to some weird studio…”
“A game? What kind?
Can Fate/Zero even be a game? Most games today don’t seem like the right fit.
A visual novel maybe? But the survey asked about spending habits… doesn’t seem like it.”
“NOOO why would you let a company turn it into a game?!
Don’t fall for their pitch!
This will kill the manga!”
“…”