Zagreus Cross (Japanese: 聖戦の後!!!! (lit. "After Holy War!!!!")) is a fantasy anime series. It first aired in 1996 and is notably popular in certain Demi-human communities. The anime comes as a sequel to the lesser-known manga series 聖戦!! ("Holy War!!") and is so far the only officially-localised piece of media in the franchise.
Plot
The year is 124 D.I., a little over a century since the last major Inquisition. Rain Ueivus, the strongest of the Holy Knights, has just returned from a previous assignment and enters the High Priest's office. The Priest, named Leonado Deez informs her of undead activity in some towns to the east, and tasks her with eliminating the cause. Ueivus buys a burger from her favourite store (making sure to make good use of her few hours back in her home city) and heads directly to Printos, the centre of the undead activity.
There, she discovers an old tower now inhabited by the Necromancer Nichol. After some fighting and debate, Nichol convinces Ueivus that the undead are helping rebuild the nearby towns, still damaged after the Inquisition. Ueivus doesn't fully trust her, but agrees to help oversee efforts as the people really need it. The two continue to work together, with Ueivus having a lot of time to think about her orders and allegiances.
Media
Holy War!! Manga
In mid-1994, the original Holy War!! manga was released. Across four volumes, it told the story of Hiro Deez and his actions during the Battle of Caellun.
Sequel Anime
In April 1996, the animated sequel to Holy War!! started airing in Japan. In an unusual move, an English dub was aired starting only two months later. This was due to a weirdly high interest in the original story in western Europe. When Zagreus Cross later got a second season, the English dub was not continued. Instead, future seasons included translated subtitles. Later releases in the 2010s came with new English voiceover, as well as versions in French and Italian.
Prequel Manga
In 2001, a prequel and retelling of the original Holy War!! started publication known as "たった今!! 聖戦!!" (Right Now!! Holy War!!). It is approximately three times the length of Holy War!! and was praised for offering more character viewpoints than the original's entirely holy order perspective.