In terms of art direction when creating each clan's background, what were some of the things you focused on for a clan's culture and environment?
(Question from Ayako Kawasumi)

Given that the story takes place in the Land of the Fae, the setting largely stuck to a classical fantasy aesthetic. The theme was innocent faeries imitating human lifestyles in the forests, castles, and pastures of a calm world without any conflict, governed by mysterious laws which would be inconceivable in human history. Then, because this world has a history which deviates from our own, I carefully considered how this world would have restarted and what would be at its foundation, ultimately creating a proper timeline. It was fun.

Why did Fou refuse to come along for the journey?
(Question from Kenji Akabane)

Because all he sensed there were his home and the faeries in it. He figured, going there would only conjure up bad memories, and no good could come of the faeries being there, and besides, they're empty on the inside. And by empty, he means that they aren't mentally mature. For better or worse, Fou is sustained by humans' mental growth and state of being...you know?

Each of Lostbelt 6's supporting characters felt fully developed. Are there any who ended up being more prominent than you initially expected?
(Question from Haruki Ishiya)

The goblin trio. They didn't even have names in the early draft. And Redra Bit, who was also unnamed at the time. He was such a pleasant character that, while I was writing him, I thought it would be heartbreaking for me if I kept writing him as a spy. And then at some point, I couldn't take it anymore, and so he no longer spontaneously got involved in conversations with Fujimaru.

Was there any reason Mash's companions Rob, Wag, and Winky were faeries, but looked like goblins? Why did you make them her companions?
(Question from Kenji Akabane)

The faeries of Faerie Britain are, in a sense, faeries who don't know human society, so I wanted to present the jolly and frolicking faeries we've all read about in fairy tales in our world. Plus, I was sure there could be some drama there since they were outcasts from the societies of both their past and present.

In Lost Will, the way the protagonist, who hadn't been depicted in a very direct way prior to this, was able to deliver a monologue left a deep impression on me. Until now, the Master only had a vague presence in the story of FGO despite being a distinct individual. Did you always intend to delve this deeply into the character during Lostbelt 6?
(Question from Haruki Ishiya)

Once the Lostbelts became the main setting for Part 2, things that needed to be done eventually became pertinent issues. In Lostbelt 6, the protagonist meets Altria Caster, a girl burdened with the duty of saving her world, parts ways with Mash, and gains a friend in Oberon, culminating in the opportunity for this moment to happen. The Garden of Lost Will doesn't measure one's sins (way of life), but rather shows the subject that which they absolutely don't want to see/fear the most. It's a bottomless pit that works to bend a person's values, morals, and human nature. It's dispersed once someone comes up with their own answer to that which they fear most and becomes stronger (more mature) as a person.

A comparable (or not) example might be the cursed space in the “GUDAGUDA Tea Ceremony Battle” event. That was a Garden of Judgment which questioned sins using society's values. Objectively, it was a mental interference against the sinner, but it was also resolved when someone decided to shoulder their sins, saying, “I don't give a damn about your values. I've already got my hands full dealing with my own!”

Were there any plot points you were uncertain about depicting, or which changed greatly from your initial plans?
(Question from program staff)

There aren't any major differences from the plot I submitted prior to Lostbelt 6's development. However, it wasn't until the last moment that I decided whether to have Mash serve Morgan as the fourth Tam Lin, or to have the story unfold in its current form. The only thing that really defied expectation was the actual length of the story. I thought we'd maybe finish it in the equivalent of three paperback novels, but it took four, more or less.

There were quite a few stills in this story. Did you plan that from the beginning?
(Question from Haruki Ishiya)

Actually, there aren't that many if you consider that the event stills were spread out across three acts. Normally, we just create 3-6 stills per chapter. We reduced the number of stills in the first two acts and increased the resources we spent on the final act accordingly. That might be why you felt there were a lot by the time you finished!

Initially for Act I, I wanted a still of Mash running through the crowd in Norwich, or the scene of Muramasa and [Tam Lin] Lancelot's midair battle, but I held my tongue on that request. But because I held back on asking for a still image of that scene, I asked the animation studio to include it in the animated trailer, and they did.

In the latter Acts, I wanted still images of scenes like Oberon standing in the distance watching the burning Autumn Forest, Grímr waiting as he feeds his wolves, a chocolate contest against Cnoc na Riabh, Morgan's final scene, or the corpse of that girl perpetually falling... There were so many I gave up.

What was the process of casting [the voice actors] for the characters in Chapter 6?
(Question from Yui Ishikawa)

The roles each Servant were going to play in Chapter 6 were well-established, so casting went smoothly. The only exception was Mélusine. As she was going to play an important role in the TYPE-MOON world, she had a personality I've never dealt with before: a character who has a pure heart, prideful, unempathetic, yet she dazzles like a female protagonist from a shojo manga, and then she encounters a gallant prince who sweeps her off her feet, and is a lonely person on top of it all. With all those elements combined, we ultimately reached out to [Marika] Kohno as her voice actor.

The most difficult character, based on the characterization, was Morgan. She's supposed to be an evil high queen, but that's just her on a surface level, and it would've literally taken hours even if I described and explained Morgan, even at double speed. Moreover, if I dictated all the information about the character in full detail to the voice actors during recording, the impression of the character would get blurred, and so that was not the right way to go. That is why I needed a voice actor who could accurately represent and voice Morgan/Aesc with minimal explanation. Fortunately, I had previously worked with [Yui] Ishikawa on [Fate/Extra Last Encore], and I knew she could pull off characters who are aloof but still exude a feminine gentleness in her voice, so I offered her the role for Morgan/Aesc. I don't have to say much as far as the end result: I feel I was able to write Morgan's story in Lostbelt 6 with more zeal with Ishikawa-san's voiced dialogue.

Why did Oberon wish he had a katana?
(Question from Kenji Akabane)

Because they're cool! No matter how perverse and apathetic he may act, Oberon is just the sort of rambunctious boy you could find anywhere.

Why does Oberon dislike Koyanskaya? Is it because he dislikes her for being a Beast?
(Question from Kenji Akabane)

Because they both immediately recognized each other as liars. They hate people like themselves!

Have you ever lied about something while working? Was it a lie you didn't need to tell, but told it anyway, or was it a real lie? I'm often put in positions like that at work myself.
(Question from Toshiyuki Toyonaga)

Even at my age, I do indeed lie, even though I don't have to. There are times when things are tough for me, yet I put on airs and pretend I'm fine. Other than that... Sometimes I tell my staff, “it'll be okay. It won't be that long.” “It'll be okay. That scene won't be that hard to create a standing image.” I say those things, but they end up being lies. It's so weird... I don't know why... I just want everyone to be relaxed about how they approach their tasks...

Was there anything new, whether it be character settings or dialogue, for Oberon that came about when Chica Umino illustrated and gave shape to that character?
(Question from Haruki Ishiya)

I sent over material for Oberon that explained the role he would play in the story, which included key lines and other important information, and so no new character settings were added along the way. The wonderful design and silhouette of Oberon were results of Umino-san single-handedly confronting the text-only settings document, battled it, and created the character we now know. When his First Ascension image, which was the epitome of THE Faerie King arrived, all I could say was a gleeful, “I have no complaints. This is exactly the Oberon I imagined. Now I can write plenty with this image!” But then the image of his Second Ascension, of an unpretentious Faerie King without his cape came in, and then as a finishing blow, his Third Ascension illustration came to me. I know I asked for an illustration of a man carrying tons of baggage that Chica Umino typically draws, but could something this awesome really be possible!? This illustration is absolutely the embodiment of an Abyssal Worm!!! ...Well, I've never really seen an Abyssal Worm, but that's beside the point!

Oberon has a complicated theme and setting, and honestly I was worried about whether I had the skill to write him effectively, right up till the end. But that concern disappeared the moment I received Umino-san's completed draft. I thought to myself, “It's not about whether I can write it. If I write an end that is worthy of Oberon, I should naturally be able to finish.” So in that sense, the final part of Chapter 6 may be a joint work with Umino-san. Oberon's dialogue came to me naturally as I looked at the character images.

I'm curious about the player choices in red that kept doubting Oberon. It was a very interesting plot device. Were you considering this for a long time? As someone who enjoys visual novels, I was so happy to see them in the game!
(Question from Haruki Ishiya)

As far as the choices regarding Oberon, there are various things to be suspicious of if you closely examine where Oberon and Altria Caster were headed. He needed someone who would be familiar enough to be able to speak honestly with him at the very end, but only if they were forthright with him as a friend up until then. I felt that I wouldn't be able to describe the truth of Oberon otherwise.