A Villain's Journey Begins in the Type-Moon World

"This is the first time the host hasn't chosen to use the power of ruin to infuse the heroic spirits and make them submit spontaneously," the system couldn't help but marvel at Wang Chong's rapid progress.

“Don’t you know who I am… Although Mo Zai has some troublesome personality issues, she is still one of my favorite Heroic Spirits, so I am naturally quite familiar with her,” Wang Chong said to the system.

"Master, a Servant has approached the magical barrier; it's Jeanne d'Arc. My barrier can't stop her." Semiramis's information also entered Wang Chong's mind at this moment.

“Mordred, I need you to do something for me right now. I need you to put on a show for me,” Wang Chong said.

"Hmm? To put on a show?" Mordred looked at Wang Chong with some surprise.

……

"Is this... a magical barrier? I didn't expect to find such an aura here." Jeanne d'Arc sensed the aura and stepped inside without hesitation. With her current EX-level Magic Resistance class skill, the magical barrier couldn't stop her at all.

But as soon as Joan of Arc stepped inside, she discovered that the barrier's aura had mysteriously vanished. This immediately struck Joan of Arc as odd. She had intended to use a magical barrier to conceal it, but now the other party had withdrawn it. Why was that? Could it be that the other party had already achieved some goal?

"Wait! That direction, there's Wang Chong and an unknown Servant, they're fighting! The Holy Grail War hasn't even started yet, and fighting is strictly prohibited during the day!" Seeing this strange occurrence, Jeanne immediately thought of the mysterious Servant who had attacked her and Wang Chong earlier. Without hesitation, Jeanne rushed towards the direction where the two were fighting.

"There's another Servant...it feels like Caster, is it the Servant who just set up the magical barrier? But they're already far away, almost out of my perception range...Hmm? Wang Chong's black mist ring is vibrating? It seems to be pulling towards my ear." Jeanne, who was rushing towards Wang Chong, sensed the number of Servants around her. Suddenly, Jeanne noticed that the black mist ring on her wrist was pulling her wrist towards her ear. So Jeanne naturally raised her hand and placed the black mist ring next to her ear.

"Joan of Arc." Joan of Arc immediately heard the message the black mist ring was sending her.

"Huh? Is that Wang Chongjun's voice? Wang Chongjun, what happened on your end?" Jeanne asked immediately.

"Fighting a Servant. Don't worry, I'm not having any major problems. I'm just worried about attracting too many people, so I hope you can do me a favor, Jeanne."

"what?"

"Joan of Arc, when you come over later, don't wear your spirit clothes, but revert to your everyday clothes like Leticia's."

"why is that?"

“I hope you, Jeanne, can pretend to be my Master.”

"Hmm...Eh???" Joan of Arc was clearly taken aback by Wang Chong's words.

"Stop asking so many questions, Joan of Arc. If you want to draw out the mastermind, the best thing to do is to hide your identity as the Arbitrator first. Trust me, I will explain after this is all over."

……

Joan of Arc had no choice but to follow Wang Chong's advice, remove her battle armor, and head towards him. She could sense that Wang Chong was fighting and retreating, and had already reached an area close to the outskirts of the sea. As for the Emiya family residence, Joan of Arc had already passed it.

"It's stopped?" Jeanne sensed that Wang Chong had stopped, and at the same time, a powerful aura rose from not far away. Jeanne realized that this was the prelude to the release of a Noble Phantasm.

Joan of Arc quickened her pace and rushed towards the field. Finally, she saw a scene that shocked her. A black mist swirled around Wang Chong, and countless ghostly spirits darted about. Opposite Wang Chong, a follower clad in heavy armor and wearing bull horns drew an incomparably dazzling sword and confronted him.

"True name revealed!" In an instant, the other party's information appeared in Jeanne's mind. However, Jeanne was very surprised to find that the information panel only displayed the other party's ability parameters and class skills, while the other party's true name, Noble Phantasm, and unique skills were not displayed at all.

"Could it be that the opponent possesses a remarkably sophisticated Noble Phantasm capable of concealing their information? Otherwise, why was the True Name Recognition ineffective?" Jeanne d'Arc, at a loss, intended to come and help Wang Chong herself, but at that moment she heard Wang Chong shout:

"Don't come any closer! Master! I'll take care of it!"

"Master...Master?" Jeanne d'Arc suddenly remembered that she had just made a promise with Wang Chongjun. But now that he was about to use his Noble Phantasm, was she just going to stand by and watch?

Seemingly sensing Joan of Arc's worries, Wang Chong said, "Don't worry! Master, I will surely bring you victory!"

"Come on! Unknown Servant, let's settle this with one strike!" Wang Chong shouted, raising the Blade of the Ruined King high.

Chapter Forty-Seven: Mr. Jin, a Kind-hearted Citizen

To be honest, Joan of Arc was completely bewildered; she couldn't understand Wang Chong's actions at all. However, she wasn't the only one confused. Mordred, hidden beneath her visor, was also utterly bewildered.

"What on earth is this Master doing? What's going on?" Mordred thought she had learned enough from that battle to understand how reckless her Master was, but what was being shown now was even more unexpected for Jeanne.

What the heck? Why is he calling that girl who rushed over "Master"? Could it be that his Master is someone else's Servant? That's so weird!

However, Mordred genuinely thought it was possible. After all, based on the knowledge granted by the Holy Grail, what Master could be so monstrous, able to go toe-to-toe with or even suppress a Heroic Spirit? It was simply unreasonable. The only explanation was that the other party was also a Servant.

"Don't overthink it, just unleash your Noble Phantasm. The ordinary one, save your strongest move for your dear father." Wang Chong's voice came from beside him. This was the black mist ring that Wang Chong had put on his ear not long ago, which allowed him to communicate silently.

"Then I won't hold back. I want to see if the Master who was able to suppress me just now can withstand this move!"

"The dazzling King's Sword—!!" Because she hadn't removed her helmet, she couldn't unleash the full power of the King's Sword, only releasing its light. However, that silver light, which was more dazzling than any silver, still made Joan of Arc, who was watching from afar, feel a considerable pressure.

"I have lost my beloved forever, and all I see is ruin—my grief is beyond words!!"

As the dialogue unfolded, a dark green light ignited around Wang Chong, and the black mist began to grow wild, as if responding to the call of its king. Wang Chong leaped up, and a dense power of ruin gathered on the Blade of the Ruined King, which then descended from the sky, slashing vertically downwards at Mordred.

The dazzling silver light collided with the towering black mist, and a huge shockwave swept over in an instant. Joan of Arc immediately used one hand to block the strong wind, but her feet began to move backward, and the mud was scraped into a deep groove.

In the distance, a blond man who had been leisurely hopping from telephone pole to pole stopped slightly when faced with the strong wind. He crossed his arms, feeling the wind as he watched the silver light in the distance and the gathering, swirling black mist. A strange smile appeared on his face: "Hmph, interesting."

……

As the air currents dissipated, the two figures were thrown back several meters, leaving a small crater where they had clashed. Wang Chong assessed the feeling of having withstood a Noble Phantasm head-on. Hmm, not bad; he had thoroughly warmed up. Although his opponent hadn't fully unleashed their Noble Phantasm, Wang Chong had at least gained a better understanding of his own strength.

Mordred, who nearly tripped in the distance, thought differently. Where did this monster of hers come from? The black mist looked like it was related to magic, but it was so overpowered in melee combat. What, you Casters are embarrassed to call yourselves Casters if you can't do melee combat?

In response, Wang Chong said, "Israeli boxing champion, Avalon swordsman, Uruk axe king think you're right."

"Alright, Mordred, run in this direction now! Try to hide yourself as much as possible when you escape. Someone will meet you and tell you everything that will happen next." Wang Chong's voice came from Mordred's black mist ring again.

Although Mordred still didn't know what her Master was up to, she obediently followed Wang Chong's orders and left the battlefield immediately.

"Wait, stop!" Just as Joan of Arc was about to chase after him, she saw that Wang Chong looked so weak that he could hardly stand. Out of concern for Wang Chong, she went to him first.

"What exactly happened? Why are you fighting with Heroic Spirits again? And what about this power of yours..." Jeanne d'Arc couldn't help but ask.

"Don't ask so many questions now. I'll explain everything to you later. Didn't you sense that another powerful guy has arrived here? As planned, continue pretending to be my Master. Here, take this!"

"Huh? This is a Command Seal??" Jeanne d'Arc discovered that Wang Chong had actually drawn three Command Seals for her, causing a mark that only a Master could appear on the back of her hand.

"The techniques I learned from that old bug are finally coming in handy." Wang Chong didn't really rely on Command Spells to control Heroic Spirits; he had a more useful power: the power of ruin. Besides, he had accumulated four Command Spells from the system, and counting the one he used to heal Mordred, even if he gave Jeanne three, he would still have three Command Spells left.

However, Wang Chong did not retrieve the three strokes for the time being. He used this battle to conceal his identity as a Master, publicly defining himself as a Servant while identifying Jeanne d'Arc as his Master. And this was all witnessed by a concerned citizen, Mr. Jin.

"clatter--"

Joan of Arc immediately turned her head and saw the figure standing on the telephone pole.

"I thought I'd see two interesting guys fighting, something to bring me a bit of amusement in this utterly boring place. But it turns out to be a runaway mongrel and a pathetic, stinking insect." The man standing on the telephone pole had an arrogant and disdainful attitude, and his incurable habit of using the word "mongrel" made it obvious to Wang Chong who he was without even looking.

Jeanne frowned. She was about to activate her True Name Recognition skill to examine this suddenly appearing Servant when Wang Chong suddenly shielded Jeanne behind him, shook his head slightly, then withdrew his black mist and began to quietly release his aura of goddess's favor.

The Servant standing on the telephone pole is none other than Gilgamesh, the legendary streetlight enthusiast and the oldest fat tiger king. He is commonly known as Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh's reason for being there was simple: he sensed two interesting auras clashing. He knew very well that the Holy Grail War had not yet begun, but he hadn't expected anyone to break the rules first, not only by acting prematurely but also in broad daylight. This piqued his interest in these two Servants.

Later, Gilgamesh noticed that a Caster-class Servant had constructed a magical barrier to conceal something, which made him even more curious. He wanted to see what tricks these fleas were playing in his eyes.

After the magic barrier was removed, Gilgamesh sensed the clash of the two Noble Phantasms, and the dazzling silver light aroused his interest, as he really liked such magnificent Noble Phantasms.

However, when he leisurely arrived, it was clear that the battle was over, and the magnificent Noble Phantasm he wanted to see had already escaped, which immediately made Gilgamesh feel annoyed.

As for the pitch-black mist, Gilgamesh, to be honest, found it utterly repulsive. At this time, he actually loathed the aura of death, as it reminded him of something that infuriated him.

However, sensing the divine aura emanating from the other person, imbued with the favor of a goddess, amused Gilgamesh. The power of the undead combined with the goddess's favor? Could this be some lover that the goddess of the underworld found somewhere? This is interesting.

"Heh, you've got some skill, I'll remember you." With that, Gilgamesh vanished in the next instant. Since the entertainment had ended and there was nothing more interesting, Gilgamesh naturally didn't bother with it.

"Luckily, I managed to get rid of him after he found something interesting, otherwise it would have been really difficult to handle if he had taken it seriously." Wang Chong relaxed his muscles. He had taken a gamble when he used the Goddess's Favor, betting on Gilgamesh's subconscious, habitual thinking. What kind of strange reaction would occur when near-undead power was combined with the Goddess's Favor?

Well, I'm protected by a certain lovely Ereshkigal, so let's let this go for her sake. And clearly, even though Gilgamesh had just experienced Enkidu's death in his youth, and while he hated the aura of death, he still had a good impression of Ereshkigal, the goddess of the underworld. Therefore, Gilgamesh gave her face, didn't pursue the matter for the time being, and left.

Hmm? You're asking what to do if Shining doesn't give you face?

Just fight! It's not like we can't beat them. What? Are you afraid of your brother (Enkidu) getting in your way?

Chapter 48 Joan of Arc, Fooled and Lame

"Wang Chong, so can you explain now?" After the imposing, self-proclaimed king spirit left, Joan of Arc's tense nerves relaxed. She then looked at Wang Chong, who was standing in front of her, and asked.

"Well, let's explain on the way. The aura of the Noble Phantasm just now spread, and I'm afraid quite a few people are heading this way. Let's leave here first." Wang Chong pulled Jeanne and began to quickly retreat from the area.

Not long after, a flash of lightning and a clap of thunder streaked across the sky, followed by a panicked and desperate cry: "Rider!! You idiot!! Don't drive so conspicuously! What if someone finds out!"

Then a burly figure, accompanied by a thin young man with a panicked expression, rode in a chariot towards them. Unfortunately, they were destined to come up empty-handed.

……

"So... that's the whole story of why you fought that Servant?"

At this moment, in a secluded room of a restaurant, Wang Chong and Jeanne d'Arc were discussing the events of the morning. Wang Chong roughly described Mordred as an unknown Servant, and explained that she attacked him because she sensed a faint Servant aura on him, mistaking him for an easy target, and thus decided to eliminate him first.

Wang Chong also mentioned that a Caster-class Servant was cooperating with them, and they had sealed off the entire area, intending to eliminate him silently. Fortunately, the unique nature of his black mist allowed him to ignore this barrier and guide Jeanne d'Arc over.

Indeed, Joan of Arc's arrival was primarily due to Wang Chong's manipulation and guidance through the black mist. From the very beginning, this entire performance was staged for Joan of Arc's benefit. It aimed to clear him of suspicion while simultaneously making Joan of Arc realize the gravity of the situation, that it was no longer something she could resolve alone.

"Saber attacked me, and Caster covered for her... plus Assassin from last night. That's like three riders teaming up," Wang Chong said, trying to entice him.

“There are actually three riders…” Joan of Arc frowned deeply.

“And that’s not even the most crucial point, Jeanne. I just discovered something during the battle. The Servant I summoned who granted me power… his class is Caster. Do you know what that means?” Wang Chong then dropped another bombshell.

"Wait, if you are a Caster, then what about the Servant who set up the magical barrier outside earlier?" Jeanne d'Arc had obviously noticed this. There were actually two Casters. This was something that shouldn't happen in the Holy Grail War.

“Either it’s not a Servant, but that Saber’s Master, or it’s someone of another class who can use similar magical techniques, like Noble Phantasms,” Wang Chong said.

“No, that is indeed a Servant, I can’t be wrong. I hope it’s the latter possibility…” Joan of Arc said with a deep frown.

"What if it's not? What if... there really are two Casters..."

“Then I understand why the Greater Grail summoned me to determine the victory of the Holy Grail War and to maintain its proceedings. This time, the number of Servants has far exceeded seven; someone has used special methods to summon multiple Servants. This is evident from how these three Servants are so coordinated in dealing with Wang Chongjun. As a result, things have far exceeded my control,” Jeanne said somewhat seriously.

“Someone is trying to sabotage this Holy Grail War, and… has summoned multiple Servants. I alone cannot handle so many Servants,” Jeanne d'Arc said.

“So, let’s cooperate, Jeanne,” Wang Chong said. “I am the only Master who has seen them and is still alive. They certainly don’t want the other Masters of the Holy Grail War to know about this. So they will definitely try to get rid of me. And you, you also know of their existence and are an obstacle to their plans. We share the same stance. Therefore, the two of us must now unite.”

"Just the two of us? Shouldn't we inform the other Masters about this and try to gain their support?" Jeanne asked, somewhat puzzled.

"It's no use. Even if you reveal your identity as the Arbiter and tell them the situation, they've never experienced being attacked by an unknown Servant before. They won't believe it. People are more inclined to believe what they see than what they hear from others. Besides, these people are extremely eager for victory in the Holy Grail War, but there can only be one winner. This means that these Masters are destined not to cooperate and may even betray each other. That's human nature. You should be very clear about this, Your Grace, the Saint of France."

Wang Chong's words silenced Joan of Arc. As someone who had been betrayed and stabbed in the back, Joan of Arc was well aware of the ugliness of human nature.

“Of course, I don’t need to be so certain. If suitable Masters come along, we’ll naturally recruit them. That’s something you and I will need to assess. I trust our judgment in judging people. But not now. We can’t even distinguish between normal Masters and outcasts right now. Announcing this news rashly would only alert them and make them hide for the time being,” Wang Chong explained.

Upon hearing this, Jeanne nodded and then asked, "Then why did you have me pretend to be your Master before? Logically, shouldn't the other person already know our identities?"

"This matter is primarily about how we will appear in public if we cooperate in the future, especially in front of normal Masters," Wang Chong said eloquently. "More importantly, you are absolutely right, the other party knows our identities, and only the other party knows them."

Upon hearing this, Joan of Arc's eyes lit up as if she had grasped something, and she said, "You mean..."

“Normal Masters and Servants would all think we are a Master and Servant team participating in the Holy Grail War. Only those who are hiding know our true identities. If multiple Servants were to attack the two of us at the same time, especially if they were to use any means necessary to kill you, a Master who appears to be weak, what kind of people do you think they would be?” Wang Chong crossed his arms and placed them in front of his chest.

“I see. So Wang Chongjun is using this method to filter out the Masters who are participating in the Holy Grail War normally, and those who are different.” Jeanne nodded and said, “As expected of Wang Chongjun. What I didn’t expect is that you have already thought so much in such a short time after you met that Saber and fought with her.”

"There's nothing I can do. I'm a Master participating in this Holy Grail War, after all. If I don't have a good head, I'll die," Wang Chong said with a shrug.

"Hehe... But from what I see right now, Wang Chongjun has a fairly good chance of winning," Joan of Arc said with a smile.

"I appreciate your kind words. But given my current situation, can I still be considered a normal Holy Grail War Master? Maybe I'm already an anomaly." Wang Chong's eyes darted around, and he frankly said, "After dealing with those guys, will Lady Jeanne d'Arc plan to take action against me? Putting aside our personal relationship, I do know Lady Jeanne d'Arc's very fair character."

"Well, we'd have to confirm that you are indeed an anomaly. But... in your situation where Master and Servant are together... let's talk about that after we resolve that. At least, I can guarantee your safety, Wang Chong-jun, and ensure your safe exit from this situation. That's one of the few things I can do for you, I suppose. The Holy Grail should understand." Jeanne said with a smile.

"Then, please take good care of me, my Master." Wang Chong extended his hand and said.

"Um, nice to meet you... Uh, is your Servant name also Wang Chong-jun?"

“You can call me Caster, or you can call me the Ruined King. That’s the title of the guy who gave me that power,” Wang Chong said.

"The King of Ruin? What a strange title... Is there such a Servant?" Jeanne frowned. Neither her memory nor the knowledge granted by the Holy Grail had ever heard of a Servant with this title. Therefore, Jeanne could only temporarily note down the name and see if she could find out about this Servant later to help Wang Chong resolve his current physical condition.

"Hmph, now Joan of Arc is tied to me. This is what you call a werewolf pretending to be a witch, and getting a confirmed kill by a clueless seer. With this highest-ranking identity besides the seer, this Holy Grail War will be even more interesting." Wang Chong looked at Joan of Arc, who had been completely fooled by him, smiled slightly, and began to look forward to it.

Chapter 49 Minor Friction Between Servants

"Teacher, you were looking for me? Is Father here too?"

At the Tohsaka residence, both Tokiomi Tohsaka and Risei Kotomine looked worried, making Kirei Kotomine almost lose his composure. Fortunately, Kirei Kotomine had undergone more than half a month of professional training and absolutely refused to laugh unless he couldn't help it.

"Take a look, Kirei. This is the Heroic Spirit battle that the Holy Church just dealt with in the suburbs." Tokiomi Tohsaka handed the papers and photos to Kirei Kotomine. As Kirei looked at them, he heard his father, Risei Kotomine, say sternly, "The Holy Grail War hasn't even started yet, and someone is already so ignorant of the rules, starting a war prematurely, and doing it in broad daylight when there are many people around. This has put a lot of pressure on our Holy Church to cover things up."

“These unruly, low-class guys show up on our own turf, and we’ve messed things up because of our poor management. If the Mage Association or the Holy Church headquarters finds out, they’ll probably laugh at us.” Kotomine Risei said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"Kirei, we can start planning ahead of schedule tonight," Tokiomi Tohsaka said with a stern face.

"Tonight? But there are still 7 days until the Holy Grail War." Kirei Kotomine paused, put down the documents in his hand, and asked.

"If we don't use this to deter those petty thieves, they'll become increasingly audacious on our territory. Too many unexpected things have already happened. As the administrator of Fuyuki, I cannot allow this to continue," Tokiomi Tohsaka said in a deep voice.

"But... what did the King of Heroes say?" After all, Tokiomi Tohsaka had discussed this matter with Gilgamesh beforehand. Kirei Kotomine remembered that the guy was very unhappy after hearing it and gave Tokiomi Tohsaka a good scolding.