Chapter Summaries

Roland and Medea watched Irisviel arrive with Saber, whom Roland identified as the male King Arthur, Proto Saber. Roland sensed traces of fire demonic qi on Irisviel and went to investigate the Einzbern Family’s past, while Irisviel encountered a young man whose reflection showed a dragon’s head like the one on Avalon.

• Roland and Medea observed Irisviel arrive at F Airport with Saber, and Roland realized Saber was the male King Arthur known as Proto Saber.
• Roland detected traces of fire demonic qi on Irisviel and suspected the Einzbern Family had extracted it from her during the previous war.
• Roland and Medea left to investigate what the Einzberns had done in the last war.
• Irisviel and Proto Saber left the airport, and Irisviel tried to reassure herself about her daughter’s role as a Grail vessel candidate.
• Irisviel collided with a passerby, accepted his hand, and saw a dragon’s head reflected in a shop window instead of his face.

Roland confronted Saber and Irisviel, then revealed that he had discovered Irisviel’s receptivity to his fire demonic qi and marked her with it. He left Irisviel weakened and under his influence as Saber raised his blade again.

• Saber rushed to protect Irisviel, but Roland held her at wand-point and used a concealment Barrier to keep their confrontation hidden.
• Irisviel refused Roland’s demand for Saber’s contract, while Saber vowed to fight even if it meant using his Noble Phantasm.
• Irisviel urged Saber to escape and form a new contract with Illya, but Roland accused her of being a thief and seized her hand.
• Roland infused Irisviel with fire demonic qi, causing her to weaken and fall into his arms.
• Roland said he had marked Irisviel to prevent anyone else from taking her, and Saber raised his blade in response.

Roland left with Medea after taking control of Irisviel and the Lesser Grail, while Irisviel resolved to free Illya from the Holy Grail War. At the Fuyuki City Hyatt Hotel, Waver checked Kayneth’s elaborate workshop barrier and questioned whether it could withstand someone destroying the building.

• Roland told Irisviel that Illya was his daughter and that he would take her away, then left with Medea as Irisviel stopped Saber from pursuing them.
• Roland explained that he had corrupted Irisviel with demonic qi, gained authority over her, and secured control of the Lesser Grail.
• Irisviel told Saber that their first battle was that night and that she intended to free Illya from the Holy Grail War.
• At the Hyatt Hotel, Waver reported that Kayneth’s barriers and Mana Furnaces were operating normally while Kayneth boasted about the workshop’s defenses.
• Waver asked Kayneth what they would do if another Master simply blew up the hotel instead of attacking the workshop.

Kayneth, Waver, and Rider debated how mages should approach the Holy Grail War before heading to observe Saber’s open challenge at Shinto Port. Rider and Kayneth decided to answer the challenge and set out in a thunder-wreathed chariot.

• Kayneth explained that a conspicuous building’s destruction could expose magecraft and leave its attacker facing enormous costs, while Rider warned that some mages would still risk everything in the war.
• Rider and Kayneth took Waver to observe the first battle from the Mion River Bridge using clairvoyance magecraft.
• At Shinto Port, Saber and Irisviel openly drew the other Servants into battle after Kiritsugu Emiya’s death, confident in Saber’s strength.
• Rider proposed drawing out the other Servants, but Kayneth said he would defeat those who answered his challenge one by one.
• Rider summoned his thunder-wreathed chariot and set off with Kayneth and Waver to declare war openly.

Saber and Iskandar clashed at the harbor, with Saber using his strength and Wind King Hammer to stop and overturn the Gordius Wheel. As Roland watched, the Shadowkhan found Darnic, and Roland set out with Caster to investigate his preparations for the war.

• Kayneth brought Waver in Iskandar's chariot to the harbor, where Iskandar invited Saber to join his conquests and Saber refused.
• Saber attacked Iskandar with his invisible holy sword and halted the Gordius Wheel with his strength and Mana Burst.
• Saber revealed his holy sword and used Wind King Hammer to hurl the chariot into the air, but Iskandar regained control of the divine bulls.
• Roland observed the duel and assessed the fighters' strengths while Caster waited beside him.
• A Shadowkhan reported that it had found Darnic, and Roland left with Caster to investigate.

Roland and Caster tracked Darnic to a workshop hidden within the Dream Realm, where Darnic believed he was protected from attack. Roland’s Shadowkhan invaded the otherworld and confronted Darnic and his mysterious Lancer.

• Roland told Caster that Darnic had hidden somewhere unusual and brought her to his location using the Shadowkhan.
• Darnic watched the Water Mirror and discussed King Arthur and the King of Conquerors with his Lancer.
• Darnic explained that his workshop’s Otherworld Transformation had placed it in the Dream Realm, where ordinary magecraft could not harm him.
• The Shadowkhan appeared in the Dream Realm and surrounded Darnic and Lancer, prompting Lancer to warn Darnic of an incoming attack.
• Roland emerged and told Darnic he had come to assess whether he was worth killing and to learn what scheme he was hiding.
• Roland examined the concealed Lancer and found his five parameters were all B.

Roland confronted Darnic in his Workshop and heard his offer to withdraw from the Holy Grail War in exchange for an alliance until four Masters and their Servants were eliminated. After Darnic offered to demonstrate his combat ability, Roland drew a firearm and shot at him.

• Darnic argued that Roland had targeted him from the outset and offered better terms than whoever had recruited Roland.
• Darnic revealed Lancer, whom Medea recognized as a remarkably beautiful, almost fairy-like creation, and Roland identified him as Enkidu.
• Darnic offered to relinquish the Holy Grail and presented a Self-Geas Scroll binding Roland to an alliance until four opposing Masters and their Servants were eliminated.
• Roland tentatively accepted the terms but questioned whether Darnic could defend himself without relying on Lancer.
• Darnic prepared his defenses and invited Roland to test him, so Roland pulled out a firearm and fired.

Roland defeated Darnic with an Origin Bullet and agreed to a contract with him, then discovered that his soul could casually shrug off the oath. He and Medea left Darnic’s Workshop while Roland questioned Darnic’s strange condition and Enkidu’s presence.

• Roland shot Darnic with an Origin Bullet, disabling his Magic Circuits, but Darnic remained conscious and impressed Roland with his resilience.
• Roland accepted Darnic as an ally and marked the contract parchment before leaving the Workshop with Caster.
• Roland and Caster discussed Darnic’s unusual body and the mystery of Enkidu’s Holy Relic.
• Roland decided to break his contract with Darnic using Medea’s Rule Breaker, but Medea explained that a mortal contract could not bind his soul.
• Roland tested the contract and watched his soul shake it off effortlessly.

After Roland left, Darnic revealed how he had used the Sheep Talisman to divide himself among a collective of Homunculi and preserve his consciousness. Enkidu sensed Archer on the battlefield and realized the Servant was the king he had longed to meet.

• Darnic passed out after ordering the Workshop's transformation undone, and Enkidu discovered that the eleven Homunculi shared his face and contractual connection with Lancer.
• Enkidu moved the Talisman from Darnic's chest to a Homunculus, awakening a new body that Darnic took as his own.
• Darnic explained that he had divided his soul among Homunculi and used the Talisman to maintain himself as the collective's central consciousness.
• Enkidu accepted Darnic's decision to treat the Homunculi as tools, though he called the transformation tragic.
• Enkidu sensed Rider and Saber had stopped fighting, then detected Archer battling another Servant and recognized him as the king he knew.

Roland and Medea discussed the chaotic battle as Gilgamesh attacked Berserker and taunted the other heroes. Kayneth used a Command Spell to force Rider to cooperate with Berserker and kill Archer.

• Roland asked Medea for an update, and she reported that Gilgamesh was fighting Berserker while Saber and Rider watched from nearby.
• Gilgamesh unleashed a barrage of Noble Phantasms, but Berserker caught and wielded them as he charged toward him.
• Saber asked Irisviel what they should do, and he argued that they might have to fight because Gilgamesh's attacks were reaching them.
• Gilgamesh taunted Saber and Rider, prompting Kayneth to order Rider to join Berserker against Archer.
• Rider refused, but Kayneth raised his Command Spells and ordered him to cooperate with Berserker and kill Archer.