The story deviates from the main Fate timeline during the (prior to the events of Fate/Zero ). In this reality, the German army seized the Greater Grail during its transit from Fuyuki City, leading to its disappearance for sixty years. The blueprints for the Grail system were eventually leaked, causing smaller "Sub-Grail Wars" to break out globally.
The episode establishes the current conflict: the , led by Darnic Prestone Yggdmillennia , has declared independence from the Mage's Association in Trifas, Romania. Because Darnic possesses the original Greater Grail and has already eliminated a disciplinary squad of mages, a special Great Holy Grail War is triggered. Key Character Introductions Fate/Apocrypha Episode 1
Unlike the usual free-for-all, this war pits two teams against each other—the Masters of Red and the Masters of Black —with the winning faction eventually having to fight among themselves for the final wish. The story deviates from the main Fate timeline
