Fate/Apocrypha



Fate/Apocrypha is a Light Novel by Yuuichiro Higashide set in the Fate/stay night universe. It was originally conceived as a joint-project MMORPG by Type-Moon, with the help of several other authors and artists like Gen Urobuchi, but has since been canceled. The concept has been revived as a Light Novel, now being published in the Type-Moon Ace magazine.

The story revolves around a Holy Grail War different from the ones presented in Fate/zero and Fate/stay night. For one, there are now fourteen Servants summoned by the Grail. The war is now also being presided over by a Servant, Joan of Arc, a Ruler-class Servant with the secondary class of Saber. And finally, each Master seems to need their own vessel to summon the Holy Grail.

"Act 1: Unbirth" begins in Shinjuku with a magus, Hyouma Sagara, attempting to summon Jack the Ripper as a Servant, but failing to do so even when he possesses the proper catalyst. He concludes that in order to summon the Ripper, he must re-enact the conditions which activate the knives and decides to use the prostitute he is living with, Reika Rikudou, as a sacrifice. Before Reika is killed, her wish to live summons Jack the Ripper -- actually a petite young girl -- into this world, who immediately thinks that Reika is her Master despite Sagara having the Command Spells. After Jack kills Hyouma and transfers the Command Spells to Reika, the pair decide to participate in the Grail War.

Fate/Apocrypha provides examples of:

 * Artifact of Death: The Ark Of The Covenant, which text implies will drain those unworthy to touch it of prana, to the point of death.
 * Artistic License: Abused to the highest degree with the Servant designs, but most obviously, Jack the Ripper is a skimpily-dressed loli.
 * Blood Bath: Like is namesake from the Nibelungenlied, Siegfried becomes invulnerable after bathing in the blood of a dragon, save for a spot on his back where a leaf sticks to him.
 * Cool Horse: Bayard, St. George's ultimate Noble Phantasm.
 * Fantastic Nuke: "Brahmastra Kundala" is described as such. Karna's regular "Brahmastra" is already very capable of wiping out a person/Servant, but "Brahmastra Kundala" is what happens when he applies his fire affinity to it, causing the Noble Phantasm's area of effect to expand considerably.
 * Fate Worse Than Death: Sagara is briefly subjected to this when Jack slices off his lower jaw and hand and perfectly seals the wounds.
 * Functional Magic: Most obviously, the novel makes use of the traditional Nasuverse-style magic.
 * Fog of Doom: Jack the Ripper's Noble Phantasm, "The Mist". It's a thick smog made out of prana which reenacts the London Great Smog of 1952 and slowly kills humans trapped inside it. It's impossible to escape unless you're a magus or a Servant with the "Instinct" skill of Rank-B or higher.
 * Impaled With Extreme Prejudice: Vlad III's schtick. His Noble Phantasm, "Kazikli Bey", summons the infamous fortress of stakes he used to impale his enemies.
 * Minor Injury Overreaction: Unlike other Berserkers, Kintoki is not constantly under the effects of Mad Enhancement. Instead, a Luck Check is performed whenever he takes damage and if it fails he Turns Red and the skill kicks in.
 * Stripperiffic: Reika is less extreme than, say, Jack, but her Impossibly Low Neckline and low-riding pants certainly count.
 * Too Awesome to Use: Karna's Vasavi Shakti is a spear so powerful it can even beat gods but Karna has to give up the armor that protects him and it can only be used once. Joan of Arc's La Pucelle is a powerful attack that uses the flames of her execution but after its use Joan dies even if she beats an opponent with it.