Seeing as the fake Holy Grail War was not successful, the six Servants initially summoned have now been used as primers for the true War. 

We are then treated to a very tense interaction between Faldeus and his Servant, who seems to be the “True” Assassin. It seems like Faldeus is beginning to understand the severity of the true Holy Grail War.

After the opening theme, we see Francesca and Orlando Reeve discussing the current state of the war. As they talk, the bolt of energy we saw in the previous episode races past Orlando’s office, shattering the glass as it does.

The target of the arrow is Tiné Chelc, and of course, Gilgamesh intercepts the attack with his Noble Phantasm. The duo head to the desert where the True Archer awaits. To Gilgamesh’s anger, the Archer tries to attack Tiné once more, forcing him into another interception. 

Before the battle between the two can truly resume, they are interrupted by another Servant, seemingly the True Rider. A three-way battle ensues in which the names of the other two Servants are revealed. 

The True Rider is Hippolyta, and the True Archer is Alcides (Heracles). 

As the trio continue to test each other, Francesca reveals to Orlando that she has sent her Servant, True Caster, to de-escalate the situation. Caster arrives and uses an illusion to turn the rocky desert into an icy wilderness. 

The illusion does little to deceive the other Servants but manages to bring a stop to the fighting. The three Servants part ways, and we return to Ayaka and Saber as they lounge in a studio. Much like Francesca and Orlando, they discuss the state of the war with Ayaka asking Saber what he desires from the Grail. 

He tells her that he does not have a wish for the Grail and thanks her for her presence, whilst also revealing the name of the man who killed him: Pierre Basile. This is also the invisible person that he converses with from time to time.  She is taken aback by his show of trust, because revealing who killed you is almost the same as revealing who you are—your True Name. 

She asks him to wait until he finds a worthy Master. Saber smiles and then says that, indeed, he will reveal his name to a great Master. Moments later, to her surprise, he stands atop the stage in the room and reveals himself to be King Richard I of England.

Verdict

We are beginning to see more of the True Servants. I wonder if the nature of the war they were summoned to will affect the strengths of the False and True Servants. 

In this episode, we were also treated to another flashy battle between Servants, and I know there is much more to come in this series. Despite being in a fight against Enkidu and now, against two other Servants, we have yet to see Gilgamesh’s true power, and I am so excited for the battles that await us. 

This episode also raises some questions about the Masters of the True Servants. How were they chosen? How did they come to know of the Wars? Are they all aware of the Fake War?

I will definitely be continuing this series to find out more. 

After the opening theme, which I decidedly do not like, we are returned to the burgeoning battle between Hansa and the Dead Apostle Jester. When Orlando asks if he will assist them, that is the Masters, Hansa replies: “Before I am an Overseer, I am a Priest.”

The battle between Hansa and Jester begins in earnest, and we are treated to an excellently animated and choreographed battle between the priest and the vampire, where both parties are determined not to back down.

Jester taunts Hansa, asking him about his role as a neutral observer, but Hansa informs him that the Church’s number one priority is to conceal Mystics and to protect the tranquillity of humanity.

He then adds, “If a vampire were to get a hold of the Holy Grail, I’d be a failure of an Overseer.”

The battle continues, and Jester tries to gain the upper hand by conjuring a whirlwind of fire and air. His attack ultimately fails as it is revealed that seventy per cent of Hansa’s body is made up of consecrated mechanical parts.

Angered by Jester comparing him to the Burial Agency, an exalted group of executors within the Church, Hansa vows to destroy Jester. However, the sun comes up, and Jester makes his escape by transforming into a child. 

Hansa orders the other members of his team to surround the building and apprehend any suspicious individuals. Ayaka and Saber are stopped by one of Hansa’s subordinates, and Ayaka is told to report to the Central Church, as there is something the Overseer wishes to discuss with the Masters.

As Orlando picks up the pieces following the assault by Assassin and Jester, he says something quite interesting.
“If…they’re still going to start the other war as planned.” 

All the subliminal clues are pointing to another Holy Grail War. 

For the first time in a while, we are shown Flat Escardos, where he sits in a diner the morning after the battle. He comments on the state of Snowfield, acknowledging that the city is strange and there seems to be a lot of Magecraft in use.

Lord El-Melloi II, on the other side of the Atlantic, is putting together pieces of information on this fake Holy Grail War. Like Flat, he acknowledges that there seems to be something off about Snowfield, especially the Magical Leyline of the city. The appearance of Saber seems to be the final hint that he needs to string all of the information together. It was previously announced that, because this is a fake Holy Grail War, there was to be no Saber. Only the other six Servants were summoned. 

However, as the appearance of Saber coincided with a spike in magical energy in Snowfield, it seems like the Holy Grail is starting to summon seven Heroic Spirits. Lord El-Melloi II postulates that the six Servants previously summoned might be catalysts for the true Holy Grail War to begin. 

The next scene proves this as we see Faldeus attempt to summon a Heroic Spirit. While it seems like he initially fails, a note appears on the floor next to the summoning circle saying: “I ask you, art thou my master?”

Elsewhere, an Archer fires a bolt of energy towards the building where Tiné Chelc and Gilgamesh are.

Verdict

One thing the Fate series has been consistently good at is well-choreographed, exquisitely animated and evenly matched fight scenes. And the battle between Hansa and Jester does not disappoint. The two exchange flashy blows, while their conversation helps to further our understanding of the setting. 

Another consistent element of the Fate series is the “neutrality” of the Overseer. In almost all of the previous instalments, the Overseer never remains neutral, and Hansa is just the latest example; although, for now, his motivations for wanting to get rid of Jester are not selfish. 

I particularly like the way information has been revealed so far. We, the audience, are not being bombarded with new information every single episode. Instead, secrets and the underlying plotline are being slowly, steadily and sequentially revealed, in a way that makes for excellent viewing. 

Of course, while the name of the Fate series and several other clues already pointed to the fact that there would be two Holy Grail Wars—a fake one and a true one, the reveal was done in a way that allowed the audience to form their own logical conclusions. 

I am definitely looking forward to episode 4.

Saber is not Arthur Pendragon, and Ayaka is not a true Master. The markings on the back of her hands are similar to Command Spells, but ultimately, are not Command Spells.

We are then taken to a casino where Tiné Chelc and Gilgamesh are gambling. They are met by Hansa Cervantes, who introduces himself to Gilgamesh as a supervisor of the Holy Grail War.

The interrogation of Saber continues, with the Heroic Spirit choosing to display his power by “disappearing.” The police chief is unamused and orders a memory wipe for all the officers involved.

Ayaka and Saber reunite in her cell, where Saber explains that there is a spell imbued in her tattoo that links them together in a faux Master-Servant relationship. 

Hansa then drops by the police station to meet with Orlando Reeve, explaining to the police chief that he intends to meet with Saber and Ayaka. Hansa Cervantes is then promptly surrounded by the chief’s underlings, and there is an attempt to restrain him to find out what the Church knows about this fake Holy Grail War, when a phone call from Caster puts a pause to the proceedings. 

The Heroic Spirit tells Orlando that something “bad” is heading his way, and he needs to prepare for impact. It’s Assassin. As the cloaked figure breaks through the numerous magical barriers placed around the police station, Orlando summons his “Clan Calatin”—police officers under his control, all wielding Caster-manufactured Noble Phantasms. 

The fighting commences while Saber leads Ayaka to safety, seemingly talking to himself as he does. 

Assassin is initially shocked by the Clan Calatin and their Noble Phantasms, but she recovers from her surprise and turns the battle in her favour. The police chief unleashes a herd of magical beings in an attempt to subdue her. Assassin, however, turns the spell against him, and he has to defend against the creatures. 

She then reveals that she has no intention of serving a Mage and that she plans to destroy the Holy Grail War.

Before any fighting can continue, however, they are confronted by Assassin’s master, a lunatic who promptly introduces himself as Jester Karture. Turns out that he is also a Dead Apostle (or a vampire, as Caster says), and that is how he was able to survive her initial attempt to kill him. 

Utterly disgusted that her master is a Dead Apostle, she springs to attack him, but he uses a Command Spell to teleport her out of the city. Jester then lifts a bench, intent on using it to finish off the police chief, when Hansa intervenes, splashing a cup of coffee across his back. 

Verdict

Once again, we are treated to a superb, compact unit of storytelling, with the plot and stakes developing quite nicely. This episode answers some questions raised in episode 1, while also raising questions of its own. 

For example, Ayaka’s role in the Holy Grail War, as a sort of quasi-Master, is revealed. Saber’s identity, however, remains undisclosed, and the scene where he is seen talking to another person (who is not visible beside him) also adds an element of intrigue.

I cannot wait to see what the next episode has in store.

Upon further research, the anime (and the manhwa it is based on) is part of an initiative by HYBE (a South Korean entertainment company, popularly known for managing BTS) to create a multimedia universe around one of the boy groups under their management, ENHYPEN.

As such, there are seven male leads, each lead corresponding to a member of the group. The opening and ending themes of the anime were also performed by ENHYPEN.

The first episode of the anime was, in my opinion, a little misleading. The first scene was a narration, describing the revelation of vampires to humans twenty years ago. The ambience was dark, the music was somber and the narration was severe. The seven male leads appeared on the screen in a tinge of red, their faces silhouetted by the light from the blood moon. 

The opening theme then played, which I enjoyed. 

After the theme, we are then taken to Decelis Academy, where we meet Sooha, our main character. She has been newly admitted and is being escorted to her quarters. The preceptor accompanying her explains the rules of the school, stating that she is not to leave the campus after dark, especially as a murder investigation (with a vampire suspect) is underway. The preceptor also apologises for the room she has been offered, as they typically do not accept transfer requests at this time in the semester. 

For all the warnings and severity of the anime up until now, once she is left alone in her room, the mood of the anime changes, becoming light and more playful. I did not expect the change; however, I welcomed it, thinking it would add another dimension to the anime. 

As she tries to arrange the leftover furniture and books littering the room, she is interrupted by Heli, a student she’d passed on her way to the room. He catches her as she lifts an entire bed over her head, and she pauses, haunted by previous accusations of vampirism. 

She lowers the bed and tries to explain the unusual sight to Heli. Apparently, he just wants to pick up a book?

My question is: Why didn’t he knock?

After he assures her that he does not think she is a vampire, she helps him to search for the book. She finds it on the floor and hands it over to him. 

Mind you, he never told her the name of the book or even described what it looked like. The entire interaction seems forced, like the writers are trying to impose their chemistry on us. 

Heli then meets with the other members in Solon’s room to tell them about this new student. They are mostly accepting of Sooha, with the exception of Solon, who is staunchly against a friendship with her. Heli, though, mentions to the others that he feels a special kinship with Sooha. 

As Sooha takes in the school environment, she sees Heli and the others gathered in the hallway. She rushes to say hi to Heli, but overhears Solon saying that they should maintain a distance from her. 

I thought this conversation ended in the room?

She is distraught, but that lasts for all of one second, as the boys, with the exception of Solon, all crowd her, welcoming her to the school and offering her a tour. As they walk around the school, they introduce themselves and their classes, including Jakah and Noa, who are currently on the athletic field. 

Heli reveals that the boys are close, despite being in different classes, because they all grew up in the same orphanage. When they arrive at the athletic field, a stray ball thrown by Noa and Jakah flies towards the group. In typical romantic fashion, the boys snap to attention and protect her, with Heli wrapping a protective arm around her. 

After meeting with her, the boys debrief in what seems to be Solon’s room. They all remark that they feel a certain way towards Sooha, like they want to give her everything she wants. Of course, Heli shows up to escort her to her first class. 

As he does, he reveals his telepathic power, speaking to her in her mind. The boys then offer to help her clean up her room, as they were using the space as a storage before her admission and enrollment. 

Trying to help, she casually lifts a box full of weights to the shock of everyone, except Heli. To reassure her that her secret is safe with them, they all display their powers. 

The episode ends with Solon confronting Heli about his choice to reveal his powers to Sooha. 

“We should stay away from Sooha—no, from all humans,” he says. “We’re vampires.”

Verdict

Dark Moon: The Blood Altar seems like a basic reverse harem romance with fantastical elements sprinkled in for dramatic effect. 

The story so far reads like a fanfiction written by ENHYPEN fans for ENHYPEN fans. And it follows the typical fan fantasy of seven extremely handsome boys all vying for the attention of one girl, who feels like she is out of place. 

The dialogue is simple, the animation works well enough for the story, and the opening and closing themes are quite catchy. 

However, the storyline seems quite shallow and invites the audience (ENHYPEN fans) to imagine themselves as the main character, a girl who is instantly attractive to seven boys. While this is not the typical form of fan service, it is immediately clear who the intended audience is. 

As such, I will be dropping this anime.