Fate/Strange Fake: Episode 2 Recap, Review and Verdict

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.