(3rd Person POV)
Industry analysts predicted home entertainment would eventually surpass theatrical releases in profitability. The major studios—particularly Titan Pictures—had recognized this shift and begun adapting their strategies accordingly.
They couldn't compete with Hellfire in theaters. Every Arthur Pendragon film seemed guaranteed to dominate the box office, crushing competition through sheer quality and cultural impact. So they'd quietly begun pivoting to home video.
The numbers told the story clearly.
Titan Pictures' horror film Dark Paradise released in November 1276 and earned only 31 million dollars globally during its theatrical run—largely because John Wick had monopolized audience attention that month. However, the VHS release of Dark Paradise generated 48 million dollars and continued climbing through both sales and rentals.
The lesson was obvious: while theatrical releases offered prestige, home entertainment offered profit without competing directly against Hellfire's theatrical dominance.
Major studios had begun investing heavily in VHS production, distribution networks, and rental partnerships. The home entertainment battlefield had grown intensely competitive—and while Hellfire maintained presence there, competitors were finally gaining ground.
The video game industry presented similar dynamics.
In Morningstar Kingdom alone, tens of millions of consumers owned gaming consoles. The MStar system had actually surpassed H.E.S. in market share—and it was owned by Lucy Morningstar, Arthur's sister.
MStar had launched just last year, but through console sales and licensing fees from game developers, Lucy's company had already generated hundreds of millions of dollars. She'd succeeded by convincing developers to create MStar exclusives rather than only releasing for H.E.S.
The profits couldn't match what Arthur earned from a single blockbuster film, but they were substantial enough to establish Lucy as one of the youngest and wealthiest entrepreneurs in the Morningstar royal family.
She'd also cultivated an intensely loyal fanbase.
In a basement gaming den in Morningstar's capital, a group of demon students gathered around an MStar console, controllers in hand, snacks scattered across the floor.
"Praise be to Lady Lucy!" one shouted triumphantly after winning a match.
"Seriously?" Another student—a scaled demon with obvious skepticism—shook his head. "Why do you keep praising Princess Lucy? She didn't even invent the gaming console."
"Exactly," a third agreed. "The Great Exiled One created it. Arthur Pendragon."
The Lucy devotees bristled immediately.
"So what if Arthur invented it first?" one snapped. "Lady Lucy is the one who actually cared about gaming. She's the one who made it matter."
"Right!" another chimed in. "Arthur introduced the console years ago, then completely abandoned it. He got obsessed with movies and forgot gaming even existed. If Lady Lucy hadn't taken over and expanded the industry, game prices would still be absurdly expensive. Because of Her Highness, we can actually afford to play."
The historical facts supported this claim. When H.E.S. was the only console available, game cartridges cost far more than most young people could afford. Lucy had aggressively pushed for lower prices, broader distribution, and more diverse titles.
"Let's just forget about the Great Exiled One," one student said with finality. "He's probably too busy making movies to care about gaming anymore."
The group refocused on their game, laughter and competitive shouting filling the cramped room.
None of them realized that Arthur was currently preparing something that would shake the entire home entertainment industry to its foundation—an innovation that would affect not just gaming and video, but transform nearly every sector of daily life across the world.
The storm was coming. They just couldn't see it yet.
---
Arthur walked through Area 67—Hellfire's most classified research facility, more heavily guarded than even the computer and Hellphone laboratories.
The products before him represented years of development: flat-screen televisions, DVD players, and the HS2 gaming console. Everything was ready for manufacturing.
The scientists here included some of Arthur's clones—his imperfect cloning technique produced unpredictable personalities, and several happened to obsess over research. Others were Dionysus worshippers whose Divine Scrolls had tasked them to join Hellfire as scientists. They didn't know Arthur was the deity they worshipped, though lead scientist Matthew suspected.
"The products have passed all testing, my lord," Matthew reported. "They're ready for mass production."
Arthur reviewed the documentation. "Excellent. These will be essential for the next phase."
"Thank you for your work, Matthew." Arthur left the facility, his plans for technological dominance now set in motion.
While Arthur's broader strategies took shape, his current project—Jurassic Park—was already attracting unwanted attention. News outlets had begun reporting sightings of strange creatures near the Hellfire VFX Studio, sparking media speculation.
Most filming occurred inside the secured studio, keeping details contained. But the cast knew these creatures were real and deeply unsettling.
During a break, the younger actors gathered excitedly.
"I heard from staff that Hellfire captured these from the Great Southern Land," Anna Williams said, her ten-year-old eyes wide with wonder. "You know, that place from the news—the unconquered continent filled with dangerous beasts!"
Ronald Ham, eleven, nodded eagerly. "They're great for the script! They look exactly how a 'Tyrannosaurus' should—whatever that is. The name's in the screenplay, but I've never heard of such a creature before."
"Nobody has," Anna agreed. "Maybe Arthur invented it?"
The adult cast listened nearby with cautious curiosity. Hellfire had trained dragons before—these were probably equally safe.
Arthur watched from the director's chair, satisfied with the authentic fear in his actors' eyes whenever the creatures appeared.
That fear would make the film unforgettable.
"Alright, everyone. Positions!" Arthur's voice cut through the set chatter. "We're rolling in sixty seconds."
The actors and crew moved into place, nervous energy palpable.
Nearby, Naruto watched the King of Dragons' offspring with barely concealed wariness. If not for his absolute certainty that Arthur could control these creatures, he would've evacuated everyone immediately. He'd fought the parent—he knew exactly how dangerous even the younglings were.
Watching actors position themselves mere feet from apex predators made his instincts scream warnings.
"Action!"
The Tyrannosaurus moved with terrifying authenticity. Its footsteps cracked pavement. It tore into a human-shaped dummy with visceral brutality, shaking it like prey before swallowing.
The actors played their parts perfectly—hands clamped over mouths, bodies frozen in terror.
Their fear was entirely genuine. Dummy or not, they understood exactly what those jaws could do to flesh and bone.
The creature approached the vehicle where the main cast huddled. It stomped on the car's hood, denting metal with casual strength, then leaned down to peer through the windows.
Several crew members held their breath involuntarily.
The Tyrannosaurus' eyes locked onto the actors inside. Its intelligence was limited, but not so limited it couldn't recognize prey.
Its jaws opened wide.
"Oh god—" someone gasped from behind the cameras.
Naruto's body tensed, prepared to intervene.
"CUT!"
The creature froze mid-strike, jaws still open, stopped by invisible force. Its eyes shifted toward Arthur. Even its breathing seemed to halt, waiting for permission to move.
"That's the scene! Excellent work, everyone!" Arthur called out cheerfully.
Relief swept through the cast as they scrambled out of the vehicle, legs shaky from adrenaline.
During the extended break that followed, Firfel approached Arthur quietly. "That creature genuinely tried to eat them. You're pushing this dangerously close."
Arthur turned to her, his expression calm. "They're dangerous, yes. But I have complete control."
"You'd better." Firfel's tone carried affectionate warning. "Because if anyone gets hurt, I'll show you exactly what kind of divine power I have now."
Arthur smiled. "Yes, ma'am."
He leaned down and kissed her gently.
The simple gesture drew attention across the set. Several crew members smiled, the romantic moment easing the tension from the dangerous shoot.
Naruto watched them with complicated feelings. The affection reminded him of Sakura—though Arthur's words from weeks ago echoed in his mind: "The worthy girl is Hinata."
He'd been thinking about that more lately. About Hinata's quiet strength, her unwavering support, the way she'd never given up on him.
Maybe Arthur had seen something he'd been too blind to notice.