Ep 8. The Mage-Slayer

Fate/Zero season 1 episode 8, "The Mage-Slayer," follows the continuing battle between the seven mages and their summoned heroic spirits. The episode primarily focuses on Kirei Kotomine, the mages' mediator, and his struggle to understand his own desires and motivations in this holy grail war.

The episode opens with Kirei reflecting on his life, pondering the emptiness he feels despite having achieved success in his career and personal life. His thoughts are interrupted by a mysterious mage who approaches him with an offer: if Kirei helps him eliminate one of the other competing mages, he will be rewarded with the knowledge of what he truly desires.

Kirei is initially reluctant, but the promise of understanding his own desires is too tempting to pass up. He agrees to help the mage, who reveals himself to be Kiritsugu Emiya's mentor, a ruthless mage known as the Mage-Killer. The two men hatch a plan to trap and eliminate Tokiomi Tohsaka, one of the other mages in the war.

Meanwhile, the other mages continue to battle it out with their summoned heroic spirits. One of the most intense scenes involves Saber and Lancer engaging in a fierce duel in the streets of Fuyuki city. Their battle is interrupted by the arrival of the Mage-Killer, who makes short work of Lancer with his powerful magecraft.

Kirei observes the battle from a distance, feeling a rush of excitement and satisfaction as he sees the Mage-Killer in action. But he also feels a twinge of guilt at having betrayed one of the mages he was supposed to be mediating for. His conflicting emotions come to a head as he confronts the Mage-Killer and demands to know why he enjoys killing mages so much.

The episode ends on a cliffhanger as the Mage-Killer reveals the true nature of the holy grail war and the reason why he became a mage-slayer. Kirei is left reeling from this revelation, unsure of what it means for his own motivations and his role in the war.

Overall, Fate/Zero season 1 episode 8 is a gripping and emotional episode that delves deep into the psyche of one of the show's most complex characters. It also features some of the most intense and action-packed battles of the series so far, making it a must-watch for fans of the show.