Overview of 'Fate/stay night' Season 2

Episode 1 - Summoning of the Heroic Spirits

Release Date: 2011-10-02

Eight years ago in Germany, Kiritsugu Emiya and his wife, Irisviel von Einzbern, welcome the birth of their daughter, Illyasviel. Though Kiritsugu fears he will lead Irisviel to her death with the upcoming Fourth Holy Grail War, Iris assures him that he is a good man who will end his torment and fulfill their ideals. Three years ago, the priest Kirei Kotomine learns that he has been chosen as a participant for the Holy Grail War; his father Risei, the war's moderator on behalf of the Catholic Church, and Tokiomi Tosaka arrange for Kirei to become Tokiomi's pupil in magecraft in order to give Tokiomi an advantage and help Kirei get over the death of his wife. One year ago in Fuyuki City, Kariya Matō visits his childhood friend Aoi Tōsaka and her daughters, Rin and Sakura, but he is shocked to learn Sakura has been adopted by the Matō family as the Matōs want a heir that uses magic and is horrified to discover on what has been done to her. Confronting his father, Zōken, Kariya strikes a deal to become a mage in the upcoming war and win the grail in order to free Sakura and return her to her mother and sister. In the present, at the London Clock Tower, Kayneth Archibald El-Melloi dismisses and humiliates a thesis by one of his students, Waver Velvet, who theorizes anyone can be great mage by hard work and practice other than by their bloodline. Angered by the humiliation, Waver decides to prove his teacher wrong by also joining the Grail War by stealing Kayneth's artifact needed to summon a Servant and heads to Fuyuki City. As Kirei and Kiritsugu learn of each other's skills, they are disturbed by how they cannot know what the other man's goals for the war are. After receiving the scabbard of Excalibur, Iris is now hopeful that they can now summon King Arthur of the Saber class but Kiritsugu worries that Arthur's chivalry will clash with his pragmatic methods. As Kiritsugu, Tokiomi, Kariya and Waver summoned their servants, Kiritsugu and Iris are stunned to see the summoned King Arthur is actually a girl.

Episode 2 - False Start

Release Date: 2011-10-09

Waver has a hard time commanding his servant Rider, who is actually Alexander the Great, as Rider is more interested how the world has changed since his time and wants to return to Macedonia and conquer the world once he wins the War. Rider assures Waver that he is reliable by summoning Gordius Wheel, a magical ox-drawn chariot. In Germany, Kiritsugu is playing with his daughter Ilya while Iris and Saber are watching them. Saber is surprise to see this side of Kiritsugu since she assume he was cold hearted and was upset upon learning she was a woman but Iris tells him what actually upset Kiritsugu was that Saber was forced to become the King of Britain at a young age and accepted her fate. Still, Saber admires Kiritsugu and Iris's wishes to save the world as she also wishes to save Britain when she failed to do at her time. In Fuyuki City, serial killer Ryūnosuke Uryū has murdered a family except a young boy to summon a demon, becoming a Master and summoning the servant Caster. Impressed, Uryū gives Caster the young boy as a sacrifice but Caster let's the boy go. However it is revealed to be a ruse as just when the boy thinks he can escape, Caster viciously kills him by a horrific creature, revealing Caster enjoys giving his victims a moment of hope before horrifically killing them. Uryū is overjoyed to meet someone as sadistic as him and vows to follow Caster anywhere which Caster reveals he use to be called Bluebeard. Upon learning the Seventh and final Master has been chosen, Kirei orders Assassin to kill Tokiomi at his mansion, only to be killed by Tokiomi's servant, Archer.

Episode 3 - Land of Winter Trees

Release Date: 2011-10-16

Tokiomi's servant Archer, Gilgamesh, shows dissatisfaction of killing Assassin as it is later revealed at Risei's church where Kirei announces his resignation from the war and granted asylum, that the attack was a ruse to fool the other participants as "Assassin" is not one but several dozen people so that Kirei can secretly send the Assassins to scout the others without suspicion. Waver informs Rider of Assassin's demise but the latter is only interested of defeating President Clinton and acquiring his country's military weapons and having a good time. Saber and Iris arrive at Fuyuki City to meet up with Kiritsugu but decides to tour the city after Iris reveals to Saber that this the first time she has ever been abroad. Meanwhile, Kiritsugu meets up with his assistant Maiya Hisau, who informs him the other Masters believe Iris is Saber's master and she has smuggled in the guns they need for the war including his Contender pistol. Kiritsugu fears that he has become too soft due to his daughter but Maiya tells him to focus on their mission and kisses him. As Iris has good time at the beach, Saber detects another servant where they both face the servant at the harbor. The servant Lancer introduces himself and ask for a duel with Saber which both him and Saber prepare themselves.

Episode 4 - Blade of the Demonic Spear

Release Date: 2011-10-23

Saber and Lancer fight for supremacy. After some fierce and defensive fighting from both sides, Lancer's master allows Lancer to use his noble phantasms. Lancer's magic-canceling spear and cursed spear capable to causing unrecoverable wounds catch Saber by surprise. Meanwhile, Kiritsugu is keeping watch over the fight with Maiya. Kiritsugu finds Assassin watching over the battle as well, so he decides not to act rashly. From far away, Rider and his master Waver spot the battle between Saber and Lancer. Against his master's wishes, Rider rides his Gordius Wheel down to the harbor and interrupts the battle.

Episode 5 - The Vicious Beast Roars

Release Date: 2011-10-30

Picking off immediately after the previous episode, Rider introduces himself as Alexander the Great to Lancer and Saber. Lancer's master is revealed to be Waver's teacher, Lord El-Melloi. Amidst the conversation between the masters and servants, Rider reveals that other teams were watching the battle as well - Archer and Berserker both materialise and display their powerful Noble Phantasms in a short but intense clash with each other; Rider deduces Berserker's Noble Phantasm to be one that allows him to "Turn anything he grabs into his Noble Phantasm". Before Archer exposes his Noble Phantasm further, Tokiomi orders Archer to withdraw from the battle through the use of a Command Spell, enraging the servant. Berserker loses control and rushes to attack Saber, using a street lamp pole as his Noble Phantasm, but Lancer defends Saber as the duel was between him and Saber. Lord El-Melloi forces Lancer to assist Berserker in killing Saber with a Command Spell, but Rider threatens to side with Saber if El-Melloi does not withdraw. Rider succeeds in incapacitating Berserker and forces both Lancer and Berserker to withdraw. Elsewhere, Caster watches the battle through a crystal ball and identifies Saber as his long-lost love, while Kirei discovers that the church was being watched by a familiar.

Episode 6 - Night of Stratagems

Release Date: 2011-11-06

Iri and Saber are driving to the Einzbern Castle at the outskirts of Fuyuki until they encounter Caster. Caster believes Saber is Jeanne d'Arc but Saber tell him he has mistaken her and forces him to withdraw, while all three of them were being watched by two Assassins. Returning to his lair, Caster is convinced "Jeanne" has lost her memories and tells Uryū they will be performing more sacrifices. At his hotel, El-Melloi scolds Lancer for failing to kill Saber but Lancer is defended by Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri, El-Melloi's fiance who is maintaining Lancer existences by supplying him with prana, which makes El-Melloi uncomfortable since she has fallen for Lancer due to his magic Love spot. When the hotel is ordered to evacuate, El-Melloi realizes Saber's master has come for them and has prepared a floor filled with traps and defenses. However, Kiritsugu and Maiya have rigged the hotel with explosives and blow it up after confirming all of the civilians have evacuated. Maiya is soon found by Kirei but escapes thanks to Kiritsugu's smoke bomb. When the Assassins inform Kirei, Risei and Tokiomi that Caster and Uryū have been kidnapping and sacrificing children and are the serial killers the news have been talking about, Risei is disgusted by their killings and they are exposing the war so he orders the other Masters to eliminate them. Kirei encounters Archer in his room and asks Kirei what he desires for the Grail which he reply's nothing as he doesn't understand why he was chosen as a Master. Archer convinces Kirei to help him spy on the other Masters and it might help him understand what the other Masters desires.

Episode 7 - Forest of Demons

Release Date: 2011-11-13

From his church, Risei informs all of the active Masters that the war is to be put on hold until Caster, who's killings of children are attracting the public, is killed with the reward of another Command Spell. Back in Einzbern Castle, Kiritsugu plans to use the Masters hunt on Caster to attack them despite Saber's protests that they should stop Caster rather than use his obsession for her to lure him. Later, Kiritsugu admits to Iri he doesn't want to do this and would rather run away with her and their daughter Ilya. However, Kiritsugu and Iri detects Caster arriving from the forest with more children to be sacrifice which Iri allows Saber to go after him. As Caster howls his mad, twisted love for "Jeanne", Saber is ambushed by Caster's summoned monsters until Lancer intervenes and joins forces with Saber to defeat Caster. As Iri evacuates the castle with Maiya, El-Melloi, who had survived the hotel bombing thanks to his Volumen Hydragyrum, a giant magical blob of mercury, infiltrates the castle to duel Saber's master but instead trips booby traps set up Kiritsugu which El-Melloi's Hydragyrum protecting him. As Kiritsugu evades El-Melloi using his Calico M960, he launches a surprise attack at El-Melloi with his Contender pistol.

Episode 8 - The Magus Killer

Release Date: 2011-11-20

Iri and Maiya are about to escape through the woods until Iri detects Kirei coming their way. Instead of evading him, Iri and Maiya decide to confront him in order to protect Kiritsugu. However, Maiya is outsmarted and taken down by Kirei despite her terrain advantage and Iri fails to restrain Kirei with her magic. Meanwhile, Kiritsugu is able to wound El-Melloi with his Contender pistol. Believing the attack was a fluke, El-Melloi vows to increase Hydragyrum's defenses to prevent it from happening again. Elsewhere, Saber and Lancer continue fighting off Caster's endless waves of demonic creatures due to Caster's Noble Phantasm, his grimoire. To damage the grimoire, Saber manages to clear a path long enough for Lancer to pierce Caster's grimoire with Gae Dearg, effectively cutting off his source of mana and instantly destroying his minions. Caster escapes while an enraged El-Melloi, suffering from blood loss hunts down the "cowardly" Kiritsugu throughout the castle, which the man himself shows up and shots El-Melloi with his Contender pistol again. Despite preparing for it, Hydragyrum defenses are futile as the Contender's bullets are in fact special anti-magic bullets, causing El-Melloi's Magic Circuits to go berserk and tear him from the inside-out. Lancer arrives to save his unconscious master, while Saber rushes to save Iri from Kirei. As Kirei interrogates Iri about Kiritsugu, an Assassin informs him of Saber's arrival which he leaves but not before stabbing Iri. However, Iri survives thanks to Saber's magical healing scabbard Avalon implanted inside of her while she heals Maiya.

Episode 9 - Master and Servant

Release Date: 2011-11-27

After having a dream of Lancer's past, El-Melloi wakes up with his body tied on a bed. Sola tells El-Melloi that his Magic Circuits were destroyed and he can no longer use magic but she also tells him to give up his Command Spells to her or she will torture him and cut off his arm. Despite Sola becoming his new Master, Lancer refuses to accept her and remains loyal to El-Melloi but Sola manages to make Lancer accept her by convincing him to fight for his old master's honor. Elsewhere, Kiritsugu decides to go hunt El-Melloi down despite Saber and Iri wishes to stop Caster. Meanwhile, Waver and Rider manages to find Caster's lair in the sewers where the former is horrified in seeing the dead bodies of Caster and Uryū victims. As Waver vomits in disgust, Rider saves his life when he kills an Assassin targeting Waver and face off two more Assassins before they escape. Now knowing Assassin is not yet dead, Waver and Rider leaves the Caster's lair but not before destroying it and burning the bodies. With Waver and Rider knowing their secret, Risei orders Kirei to send his Assassins to spy on them.

Episode 10 - Rin's Adventure

Release Date: 2011-12-04

Focusing on Tokiomi's daughter Rin, the story tells how Rin was involved in the Fuyuki City Kidnappings. Rin is determine to follow in her father's footsteps as a great mage by learning the art of Crystal Magic. With the Holy Grail War starting soon, Tokiomi tell his wife Aoi and Rin that they have to leave Fuyuki City for their own safety. Rin wants to help her father but accidentally opens a dangerous grimoire until her father saves her. Tokiomi gives Rin a magical compass that detects Mana and warns her that if the compass reacts violently, it means a powerful mage is nearby and she must avoid them. However, in her school, several students including her best friend Kotone have been kidnapped by the infamous Fuyuki City Killer. Wishing to save Kotone, Rin head to Fuyuki City alone to find the culprit using her Mana Compass. Eventually, Rin finds the culprit, Uryū, using a magical bracelet made by Caster, to hypnotize the children to follow him to his hideout. Arriving at his hideout, Rin finds Kotone and several children hypnotized but is found by Uryū. To free the children, Rin destroys Uryū's bracelet by overloading it with Mana, blinding him and freeing the children from his control and escapes. With Kotone and children picked up by the police, Rin heads home only to detect and confronted by one of Caster's monsters but is saved by Kariya. Aoi searches for Rin in Fuyuki City and finds her in a park guarded by Kariya who tells her he will win the Grail to bring back Sakura to her. An Assassin monitors their encounter with Kirei ordering Assassin to continue monitoring Kariya. As Aoi drives Rin home, Rin admits she didn't do much but at least she did something and wants to learn to become a better mage.

Episode 11 - The Grail Dialogue

Release Date: 2011-12-11

Rider, accompanied by Waver, unexpectedly arrives at the Einzbern Castle on Gordius Wheel. Greeting Saber and Iri, Rider announces he came to have a drink with Saber. Saber accepts and everyone gathers at the castle's garden, only to be joined by Archer who Rider invited. Archer expresses distaste on the wine Rider brought for them so he brings out a better wine from his collection. As the three discuss Kingship and their wish for the Grail, Saber and Rider have an argument of philosophy over being a King. Saber argues a King should serve for his people and wants to win the Grail to save Britain which she failed in the past but Rider believes it's the people who should serve for their King and was proud on his reign even when Macedonia fell after his death. Furthermore, Rider criticizes Saber for being a protector to her people rather than a King which lead them to resent her and rebel while his Kingly ambitions made his people love him and inspire them to seek their own ambitions. Their talk is soon interrupted when the Assassins arrive and surround them. When they refuse Rider's offer to drink with them, Rider transforms into his armor and summons his Noble Phantasm, the Reality Marble "Ionian Hetairoi", the Armies of Macedonia composed of the soldiers who remained loyal to him and became Servants themselves where they outnumbered the Assassins and proceed to decimate them. With their drink over, Rider departs with Waver but not before saying he no longer recognizes Saber as a King with Archer leaving as well before telling Saber she should stick to her beliefs because her suffering amuses him. Iri rushes to Saber, who reveals she once had a knight who left Camelot because he was dissatisfied with her rule which makes Saber question if the Knights of the Round Table felt the same way.

Episode 12 - Invitation of the Holy Grail

Release Date: 2011-12-18

Thanks to the information provided by the Assassins due to their sacrifice, Tokiomi and Kirei now know about Rider's Noble Phantasm and decides to let him attack the other servants first before engaging him. With Maiya transporting Iri and Saber to their new headquarters, Kiritsugu reviews his current information about the other contestants whereabouts. At their new headquarters, an old dojo, Saber notices that Iri has not touch anything and asking others to do tasks she normally does which Iri reveals she has become weaker possibly because she is a homunculus but she assures Saber she is fine and ask her to help prepare a defensive spell at the dojo. Returning to his room, Kirei tells Archer that he is no longer a Master due to the Assassins death and his Command Spells gone which will return to the Grail or given to his father the war's moderator. Archer ask Kirei about the favor he ask in spying the other Masters and notices that Kirei has taken an interest with Kariya when he isn't an important threat which Archer concludes what Kirei desires are; he enjoys seeing the pain and suffering of others. After Archer convinces Kirei of his desires, his Command Spells returns which suggest the Grail still has a use for him but since he has no Servant, Archer gives a subtle hint on which Master he should kill.

Episode 13 - The Forbidden Banquet

Release Date: 2011-12-24

Waver has a dream of Rider's past in his search for Oceanus before waking up. Caster and Uryū returns to their lair and are mad to see their "artwork" destroyed by the fire. But Uryū soon cheers up Caster by telling him his twisted logic that God, who Caster hates the most for Jeanne's death, is just a spectator who enjoys seeing humans do whatever they want. Impressed by his master idea, Caster plans a "grand spectacle" for God. Meanwhile, Waver and Rider go shopping where Waver has second thoughts about being Rider's master. As they head home, Rider learns about Waver's problem but gives him some words encouragement for him to not look down on himself. Suddenly, Waver and Rider detects something at the city's river where Saber and Iri arrive to see Caster turning himself into a giant demonic monster. Realizing the threat he pose, Rider has inform the other contestants and they all agree on a temporary alliance to stop Caster before his monster attacks the city and kill the civilians. With Rider leading the vanguard, Saber joins him to allow Lancer an opening to use his spears to target Caster.