Fate/Apocrypha 07
フェイト/アポクリファ episode 07

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis

Fiore is about to be killed by Sisigou, but is saved by her brother Caules. She launches an assault on Sisigou, but since Red Saber is about to defeat Fiore’s Black Archer, she orders a retreat. She scolds Caules for abandoning the plan, but thanks him for saving her. Meanwhile, Black Assassin returns to her “Mama,” who serves her the final mage heart to heal her wounds. They make plans to travel to Trifas, where more mages are sure to be to feed Black Assassin.

Sieg has a discussion with his elderly caretaker about freedom. Meanwhile, Ruler is in civilian gear and checks out the site of the previous night’s battle between Sisigou and Fiore. She then discovers the church HQ of the Red Faction and sets off a trap. Switching to Ruler form, she destroys the trap, but the church is empty. However, she has a vision of Shirou, causing her to continue to try to find him. Shirou is napping on Red Assassin’s lap inside her Nobel Phantasm, Hanging Gardens of Babylon. At the Black Faction HQ, Black Lancer has determined the Red Faction will attack soon.

Ruler arrives at the woods where Hanging Gardens of Babylon rises from the earth and begins traveling to the Black Faction castle. As night falls, the floating fortress drops hundreds of dragon fangs from which spring Dragon Tooth Warriors. The Black Faction assemble their homunculus troops and golems while Black Lancer has Black Rider and Red Berserker freed. The Black Servants rush, sans Red Berserker, rush out to meet the enemy. Meanwhile, Sieg takes Black Rider’s sword and with a sword belt given to him by the old man, heads out into the night.

Thoughts/Review

Fate/Apocrypha 07 was not a lot more than setting the table for the showdown between the Red Faction and the Black Faction. Plus, our “favorite” mopey homunculus main character is heading out, no doubt to get involved in the party action.

Additional: I started this review in August. I actually had to rewatch the thing to remind myself of what happened.

Red Faction

I suppose that Sisigou’s and Red Saber’s actions help Shirou to whatever extent, even if the pair aren’t under his power. Red Saber was able to force Black Archer to retreat during combat and thus force Fiore to retreat. Maybe Shirou gained some kind of intel from the combat. Otherwise, it doesn’t seem that Red Saber’s battle against Black Archer and Black Rider did much of any good. Black Assassin is still on the prowl and Black Archer made it safely back to the Black Faction lines.

Still, Shirou felt confident enough to launch an all out assault on the Black Faction. Part of me thinks that the upcoming battle is the one we saw in the first episode. However, the thing against this is that Black Saber was clearly shown in the battle. He’s “dead” as far as I know. I guess his heart is still in Sieg, but how does Black Saber return, assuming my hunch is right?

I liked seeing Red Assassin’s Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Pretty impressive to have a mobile fortress as a base of operations, even more so when it is your Noble Phantasm.

Black Faction

I guess all is forgiven on the Black Faction side with Black Rider being released from punishment to battle the approaching Red Faction forces. Also, I guess we’ll get to see the converted Red Berserker fight for the Black Faction.

Fran-chan looked kinda cute in her eagerness to engage in battle. I still think it is going to suck when she gets killed off.

The reaction Fiore has with her little brother Caules after their battle with Sisigou was fairly predictable. Officially, she had to scold him for his actions that endangered everything. Unofficially, she thanked him for saving her life. They seem such an unlikely pair to belong to the Yggdmillennia family.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

I am so far behind, plus there’s other stuff I want to watch. And I’m always so bloody tired. 🙁 Oh well, I better wrap up my review of Fate/Apocrypha 07 if I want to press forward.

• I guess Black Assassin will never be under the control of the Black Faction. I’m glad it hasn’t been any more gory than it has been, but it is pretty nasty with a female, loli Jack the Ripper eating the hearts of mages.
• Ruler served little more than a detective, trying to uncover the location of the Red Faction HQ. I wonder why they left a trap at their former HQ. Was it for Ruler or the Black Faction? Also, why is she so keen on Shirou?
• I’m not looking forward to Sieg becoming an MC, as this episode seemed to indicate he’d be doing. He’s just too depressing for words.

In the end, Fate/Apocrypha 07 is an OK episode with some decent action and a setup for what promises to be a full on battle.