Fate/Apocrypha 14
フェイト/アポクリファ episode 14

SPOILER Summary/Synopsis

Sisigou and Red Saber have a chat about her decision to spare Black Rider. An upset Ruler comes to the castle to have some words with Sieg about his actions. She officially recognizes him as a participant in this Holy Grail War after hearing his resolve. Inside the castle, Fiore and Gordes get a briefing from Black Archer on Darnic’s actions. They then discuss Black Caster’s plans for Roche. Elsewhere, Roche is being consumed by Black Caster’s golem to become its core. Roche is shocked by this betrayal, though Black Caster doesn’t care about anything other than making his Nobel Phantasm come to life.

On the roof of main castle keep, Black Rider joins his new Master for a chat. As they talk, Black Caster arrives with his Nobel Phantasm (NP), Golem Keter Malkuth, which is turning the ground it walks on into “Eden.” The golem consumes two homunculi troops, so another troop saves Caules from being grabbed as Sieg and Black Rider challenge Black Caster. Black Archer attacks Black Caster despite knowing this will not stop the NP. Black Caster now views Black Archer as a threat, but is slain. Though his body dissolves, his conscious enters his NP.

Black Rider saves Fiore on his hippogriff, though has a hard time eluding the NP golem’s speed. Sieg attempts to save Caules, only to have to be saved by Ruler. Since this Nobel Phantasm falls outside the scope of the Holy Grail War, Ruler declares it to be her enemy. Ruler warns that if it transforms more of the ground, it will become invincible. Black Archer feels they need one more Servant to help defeat it, so Ruler summons Red Saber. Red Saber demands a couple of Command Spells as payment, but agrees to one. Sieg transforms into Black Saber and after Black Rider snares the golem, the two Sabers, assisted by Black Archer, defeat it with their Nobel Phantasms.

Sieg returns to his normal self, though with some pain in his chest. A worried Ruler rushes to “Sieg-kun’s” side, not believing his assurances that he’s fine. After the battle, Black Archer wheels Fiore out to a field to meet with Sisigou. Both joke about their reunion and how they are now allies, for the time being.

Thoughts/Review

Well, we got payoff for Black Caster’s Nobel Phantasm and it went about like I expected, only it was resolved faster than I expected.

Black Caster

I presume that the moron featured during the flashback at the start of the episode was Avicebron. Like too many of the characters in this series, I don’t really give a rat’s rear about them. That said, I kinda laughed at how Black Caster basically used Shirou in order to make his Nobel Phantasm come to life. I know that Red Assassin had concerns about Black Caster in the previous episode, so why would Shirou become Master to a Servant who’s own plans could have killed Shirou’s?

As I thought, Black Caster used that brat Roche as the core for his new “Adam.” It may sound cold, but I shed no tears for the annoying brat. I had hoped that maybe Roche would influence the Nobel Phantasm in such a way as to brutally slaughter Black Caster in revenge. Instead, I had to settle for Black Archer killing Black Caster, and that wasn’t very satisfying.

Either way, Black Caster is hopefully gone for good.

Red Saber

Once again, Red Saber got a chance to be awesome. I liked how she was embarrassed by her moment of weakness in not killing Black Rider. At the same time, I loved how Sisigou was totally cool with her decision and let her know.

I rather enjoyed seeing Red Saber’s amused reaction at being summoned by Ruler. I laughed at how Red Saber became all mercenary in demanding a couple of Command Spells as payment, I presume for Sisigou. This was made funny because Ruler was desperately attempting to fight for her life.

It was also fun seeing Red Saber accept being allied with Black Archer, the fake Black Saber, Ruler, and Black Rider. Naturally, she tries to go all out from the start, but her failing was a nice touch as it forced her to truly be a team player. This was especially true when she and Sieg, as Black Saber, combined Nobel Phantasms to utterly destroy “Adam.” Now that Sisigou and Fiore have declared their alliance, it will be neat seeing Red Saber continue to work with this new team.

Ruler

Sadly, Ruler didn’t get much of a chance to be awesome in Fate/Apocrypha 14. Sure, she held her own against Black Caster’s NP, and she even got some attacks in. But she didn’t get to be a “badass” (of you’ll pardon the expression) in the fight as she was when Red Assassin attempted to kill her. Her shining moment basically came from summoning Red Saber to the party.

Sadly, though not unexpectedly, Ruler got to play lovesick girl as she fawned and fretted over Sieg. Sorry, I should say “Sieg-kun” since she shifted her way of addressing him. (I don’t think she used the kun honorific for Sieg before this episode.) Normally, I’m OK with romance stuff, but Sieg is an awful MC. Further, there’s clearly going to be a love-triangle with Black Rider, who is 100% trap. 🙄

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

OK, must move forward and wrap up my review of Fate/Apocrypha 14.

• Where is Black Assassin? She seems to have been forgotten, but with Black Caster off the table, maybe the series goes to her again.
• I guess Red Lancer, Red Archer, and Red Rider decided they were cool with Shirou as their new Master. Either that, or he’s used Command Spells to force them to obey. I wonder which it is.
• I continue to like Fiore more and more. I kinda wish I knew more about her as a character.
• I laughed when learned that Black Caster planned to use Gordes as the core of his NP.

In the end, Fate/Apocrypha 14 provided a means by which Red Caster and Sisigou could ally themselves with the Black Faction while putting an end to Black Caster and his moronic dreams. There were some good things in the episode, but I’m not really looking forward to this love-triangle that seems to be forming between Ruler, Black Rider, and Sieg.