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

Chapter 72 Mordred VS Emperor

Wang Chong observed the current situation. Gilgamesh had finally been taken away by Tokiomi Tohsaka using a Command Spell, Mordred had defeated Diarmuid and Artoria, and Kiritsugu Emiya, having exposed himself, had given Kirei Kotomine a plausible excuse to manipulate the Assassins into a cat-and-mouse game, constantly chasing Kiritsugu and Maiya, leaving him no time to focus on the battlefield. Jeanne, trusting Wang Chong, remained patiently awaiting his next move, refraining from immediate action.

Everything was going according to plan and under his control. No, to be more precise, it was even better than he had expected. Was it because the Servants he had summoned were too strong and too outstanding? Wang Chong wondered.

However, Wang Chong's focus was never on winning the Holy Grail War. His only goal was to continuously gain benefits from the Holy Grail War, specifically those related to villain points.

"Ding—Your servant Mordred has successfully amazed everyone present with his villainous appearance. Your villainous reputation has also benefited from this. After conversion, you are rewarded with 300 villain points."

"Ding—Your servant Mordred directly struck at Diarmuid's confidence, which is equivalent to a reward of 40 villain points for the host. Your servant Mordred further shattered the broken belief of the Knight King Artoria, causing the fate of the chosen one—the Knight King Artoria—to begin to change, which is equivalent to a reward of 400 points."

"Ding—Your scheme has successfully created a rift in the relationship between Gilgamesh and Tokiomi Tohsaka, leading Tokiomi to his death. You are rewarded with 200 villain points and an Azoth sword."

"Your current villain points are 2640. Please continue to work hard to earn more villain points."

"Hey, hey, hey, that last sword is too much! Isn't that the kind of sword that someone gives to someone and gets stabbed in the back? System, you gave me this, could it be..." Wang Chong pondered, a glint of light flashing in his eyes as he looked at the system.

"Danger!" In an instant, the system felt a crimson word flash above its head and immediately said, "Oh dear, this sword doesn't have that kind of causal relationship. After all, the original sword is still in Tokiomi Tohsaka's hands. This is just the result of Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V."

"Alright, I'm done teasing you. There's more to come." Wang Chong continued to look at Mordred and the chariot in the sky. If nothing unexpected happened, given the Conqueror King's personality, he would definitely stop Mordred from killing Diarmuid.

"Ola la la la—!!!"

"Whoa!!!!"

The same cry rang out again, and sure enough, Iskandar drove his chariot, swooping down from the sky towards Mordred below.

"Another one courting death!" Mordred unleashed his magic and chose to use his sword to directly clash with Iskandar's chariot.

"boom!"

Thunder roared and sparks flew as Mordred actually withstood the impact of Iskandar's chariot. If Iskandar's Cypriot sword, crackling with lightning, hadn't resisted Mordred's royal sword, Mordred would have almost beheaded the two thunderous bulls pulling the chariot.

However, neither side was weaker in the contest, but Mordred had been successfully pushed back quite a few steps by the momentum of the chariot.

"Hahaha, for a young girl, you have quite the courage! You actually dared to withstand the impact of the chariot head-on. You are truly a remarkable warrior!" Iskandar, the Conqueror, said with a hearty laugh as he struggled with Mordred.

"Who are you calling a little girl?!" Mordred selectively ignored Iskandar's subsequent words of praise. Already annoyed by being stopped, Mordred's magic power surged even further upon hearing the word "little girl." Iskandar, who was already weaker than Mordred in terms of physical strength, had only been able to hold his own for so long thanks to the momentum of the chariot's charge. Now that Mordred had fully recovered and unleashed an even stronger release of magic power, Iskandar was forced to retreat several steps.

"Hey, I was praising your strength in front of that Knight King. Why are you so angry?" Iskandar, along with his chariot, took a few steps back and confronted Mordred, who hadn't immediately charged at him because of his words.

"Who needs your praise, your approval?" Mordred pointed his sword at Iskandar and said sternly.

"I am, after all, a king like your father, and a conqueror whose name resounds throughout the world. I cannot speak of your family affairs, but with the eyes of a king, I can see that Mordred, you are a warrior with your own pride. You are powerful, brave and decisive, and most importantly, you have the determination to fight for your beliefs with all your might. I admire you, Saber Mordred. You seem somewhat different from the rebellious knight of legend."

"Hmph, so what?" Mordred sneered, lowering his sword and watching with interest as this king, whom he considered simple-minded, was about to spout some grand theories.

"Join me, Mordred. Conquer this world with me, and enjoy it. Only a warrior as fearless as you can join my legion to flatten and conquer this world, and realize our grand ambition. I think you, Mordred, also have intense desires. I can see them in your eyes. You've fought so hard for what you desire, haven't you?"

Iskandar resumed his love for talent and his desire to recruit people.

"Heh...so this is what a king is like? A bunch of them...all out of their minds." With no point in arguing, Mordred assumed a fighting stance and said coldly, "What I want, you can't give me. Since you're still somewhat entertaining, this is my final warning: now get out of my way and let me kill that guy!"

"Sigh... the negotiations have broken down again. The warriors of the Holy Grail War are indeed much more stubborn than I imagined. But... let's stop here, Mordred. You have already won and proven yourself, haven't you? Why must you be so ruthless?"

"You bastard, are you here to fight the Holy Grail War or not? Since you're so eager to be a peacemaker, then I'll kill you first!" With that, Mordred threw the Royal Sword directly at Iskandar.

"Huh?" Iskandar hadn't expected his opponent to pull this stunt, as a weapon was thrown at him. Although strange, it wasn't insurmountable. Iskandar swung his sword, preparing to deflect the thrown sword. But at that moment, the red figure leaped up, over the bull, and appeared before Iskandar, then kicked him directly in a vital spot.

"What?!" Iskandar hadn't expected that the King's Sword thrown out by his opponent was just a decoy, and that his real killing move was close-quarters combat. After deflecting the King's Sword, Iskandar immediately took a step back and attempted a knee strike, intending to use his knee to counter the opponent's kick and neutralize the attack.

"Heh." Mordred's lips curled into a smile, and his kicking motion immediately turned into a stomping motion. After stepping on Iskandar's knee, he slammed into Iskandar with a powerful shoulder strike.

"Whoa!" Iskandar was hit by the impact, and with one of his legs pinned down by the opponent, he couldn't back off to absorb the force, so he lost his balance and was slammed into the chariot by Mordred.

"This isn't Saber at all; her fighting style is practically indistinguishable from that of a berserker."

As Iskandar thought to himself, he slapped the ground with his palm, somersaulted, and landed firmly on his feet. He wasn't too embarrassed, but more worried about his Master's condition than about losing face or being knocked off the chariot.

Fortunately, Waver seemed to be stunned and cowered in the corner. Mordred paid no attention to Waver, jumped off the chariot, picked up the royal sword that Iskandar had just knocked away from the ground, and said, "Now let's see what you can do against me without the chariot and the advantage of the Rider class. Leave your life here, Conqueror King."

“Hmph…this is a bit troublesome. But to be able to fight such a warrior is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, something to be thankful for! Come, Saber Mordred, let me witness your bravery!” Iskandar raised the Cypriot sword and shouted.

Chapter Seventy-Three: The King's Military Might

As tensions between the two sides escalated, Mordred stared at Iskandar, preparing to gather her magic once more for a battle. Suddenly, Mordred frowned, and several colorful arrows of light rained down from the sky, shooting straight at Iskandar.

"Who dares to attack me from the shadows!" Iskandar suddenly unleashed his power, raising the Cyprus Sword and gathering lightning to shatter the light arrows. At that moment, a petite figure, accompanied by the sound of chains, raised her hand and swung her scythe at Iskandar.

"Hmm? Why are there little kids running around?" Iskandar frowned upon seeing the other party's appearance, but the force emanating from the sword indicated that the other party was also a powerful Heroic Spirit.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Mordred couldn't help but ask.

"Don't forget our mission. How much longer are you going to keep fighting them? Also, haven't your targets already been decided: Lancer and your father? The Conqueror King is enough for me and my sister." At this moment, the pink-haired twin-tailed girl who had just fired the light arrow landed on one of the containers, revealing her sweet and charming smile as she looked down.

“Alright…that’s perfect, I’ve already had my fill of this battle, and I’ve lost interest in the rest.” With that, Mordred flashed towards Diarmuid, who had regained some strength and stood up.

"Hey! Saber Mordred, are you trying to escape now...?"

"Clang—!"

Iskandar was about to use provocation to force Mordred to stay, but before he could finish speaking, he was met with two sharp slashes from the cloaked girl.

"Your opponent is me." The cloaked girl's cold gaze was like that of a small, fierce wild beast, but if you underestimate her because of this, you will likely pay the price with your life.

"It's actually Euryale, the second of the Gorgon sisters, and Medusa, the youngest but most famous. They're also the second Archer and the second Lancer, respectively." Jeanne saw the information on the Servants' panels again. So far, four Another Servant have been confirmed tonight. Could it be that the guy in the shadows really controls seven Servants?

"Isn't Wang Chongjun going to make a move at this point? Does he think he can force out more Servants? Or... is Wang Chongjun planning to have the Outcast Servants help him eliminate some of the normal Servants so that he can have a greater chance of winning the Holy Grail War?" Jeanne couldn't help but wonder.

Joan of Arc initially trusted Wang Chong completely, but after being suppressed from taking action for so long, she would inevitably begin to have doubts.

“Jeanne… I’ll intervene when Mordred is about to kill Lancer, but you should wait a bit longer. I have a feeling there’s some heavyweight who hasn’t appeared yet. You’re the most crucial trump card; you have to save that for last.” Wang Chong suddenly said at this moment, “Gilgamesh is quite strong; his departure was an accident after all. Since those people dared to appear while the King of Heroes was present, sending out only Mordred isn’t enough. At least another Servant needs to appear to truly counterbalance the King of Heroes. We need to make sure that guy has nowhere to hide.”

"Eh?" Joan of Arc was somewhat surprised, but the doubts that had just arisen in her mind vanished instantly. It seemed that Wang Chongjun was truly thinking of her. She nodded and instructed, "Don't force yourself, Wang Chongjun."

“Hmm…” Wang Chong nodded, secretly raising his sword, but his gaze did not fall on Diarmuid, but instead fell on Director Kenneth, who was hiding in the shadows.

"Heh, there's no need to take action for now. I don't believe you, Director Kenneth, can keep your composure," Wang Chong thought to himself.

"By Command Spell! Lancer! Return to my side at once!"

As expected, seeing that no one was stopping Mordred from attacking his servant, Kenneth had no choice but to use a Command Spell to instantly remove Diarmuid from the battlefield. He then immediately took the heavily injured Diarmuid and left the area.

"Damn it! That wretched Master, don't let me run into him again!" Mordred was furious when he saw his sword strike miss and realized how Diarmuid had escaped. But oh well, his ultimate goal had always been the same.

"Finally... finally no one can disturb us anymore, King Arthur." Mordred drew his sword and approached Artoria.

"Mordred..." Artoria drew her sword again, determined to fight to the bitter end.

"Ding--"

Artoria's sword struck Mordred's shoulder without any resistance, and blood began to seep out and slide down the blade.

“Weak…” Mordred coldly uttered the word, and with a wave of his hand, he struck Artoria’s hand with a chop, knocking Artoria’s sword away.

"You should aim for my head, King Arthur. You can't even hold a sword properly, so how can you possibly stop me now?" Mordred said. "You were the victor before, so you could trample on my will like that. And now, to experience defeat again, to watch your ideals crumble in my hands, Mordred, how is that? This is the anger you once inflicted on me, and now, I will repay it all to you!"

“You’re wrong, Mordred.” Artoria closed her eyes and said, “I am already trapped in the cycle of reincarnation. To achieve that vision, I will continue to fight. Always… always… My enemy is no longer you, Mordred, nor is it only you, Mordred.”

"So, put away your pointless insults, fight, or die." Artoria bent down and picked up the sword that had fallen to the ground. Her gaze was fixed on Mordred, yet it seemed to pass right through him.

Who is she looking at? Will she continue fighting like this forever?

After meeting Artoria's eyes, Mordred suddenly seemed to understand something.

Artoria has never faced herself squarely, not in the past, not now, and not in the future.

"Ah..." A profound sense of sorrow welled up within Mordred. The Queen had never looked at her, not even when she was the victor, trampling on the Queen's head. What, then, was the point of everything she had done?

"Then die! King Arthur!" Mordred's magic finally erupted once more. She raised her sword, ready to end everything, to kill Artoria... and then, to kill herself.

"No wonder the teacher said not to meddle in other people's family affairs. But..."

Suddenly, a massive gust of air swept up from behind Mordred, startling even Artoria who had rushed forward, causing her to stop in her tracks. Coincidentally, their gazes met in the same direction.

A powerful aura suddenly appeared around Iskandar the Conqueror, forcing the attacking Medusa back, while the others present resisted the strong aura.

"But it would be too regrettable to watch you two sink into the abyss of despair because of your own mistakes. So today, let me show you what it means to be a king and what it means to be family!" Iskandar smiled, and then white light spread outwards from him.

"Here it comes... It's time for you to make your appearance. Remember to put on the mask I gave you. Bai Zhen doesn't care, just don't let anyone see your true face." Just as Wang Chong was about to be enveloped by this light, he immediately began to give instructions to the last Heroic Spirit he had prepared.

"Got it~ Hehe, hahaha, just watch my performance." That unrestrained laughter echoed in my mind.

At the end of the light, a black figure holding a flag stepped onto a wyvern and entered the white light, followed by many other wyverns.

……

"Whoa—! Where...is this?" At this moment, Weber felt the air currents disappear and opened his eyes. When he looked around, he found himself in a desert.

"This is... a Reality Marble? How is this possible? It's actually a manifestation of a mental landscape..." Irisviel was also drawn into it, and looking at the surrounding scene, she instantly understood what kind of Noble Phantasm Iskandar had activated.

"This is the land where my armies once roamed, the land where the warriors who shared my joys and sorrows will forever remain in my heart." Iskandar finished speaking and grinned. Then, behind everyone, the sound of synchronized footsteps could be heard, and the legion of thousands appeared in everyone's sight.

"My bond with them is my most precious treasure, my royal path! It is my strongest Noble Phantasm, Iskandar's! Ionioi Hetairoi (Army of the King)!!"

Chapter 74 Ugh! I'm so angry!

As the thousands upon thousands of soldiers slowly marched towards them, against the backdrop of the vast, boundless desert, a wave of emotions—spectacular, desolate, and awe-inspiring—rose in the hearts of those present.

This is Iskandar the Conqueror's Noble Phantasm. It's the power of an entire legion. Jeanne clearly sensed that the soldiers and warriors were filled with the aura of Heroic Spirits. However, it seemed that because these people were summoned by Iskandar, they were not assigned to specific classes according to the rules of the Holy Grail War. Therefore, none of them had any class or class-related skills, let alone Noble Phantasms.

However, these individuals should not be underestimated. They are all genuine Heroic Spirits with real power. Some of them are even stronger than Iskandar himself. After all, Iskandar's greatest strength lies in his leadership and benevolent rule, not his bravery.

But this is the true power of a conqueror king; his legions and his men will follow this emperor even into the afterlife.

Artoria, witnessing this scene, seemed to be struck by something. Gazing at the soldiers who were calling out the name of the Conqueror King, she fell silent, lost in thought.

Mordred was also deeply moved by this scene. However, unlike Artoria, she saw something different. She saw the burning passion, the lust, and the happiness in the eyes of the soldiers who followed the Conqueror, Iskandar. Mordred had seen that same fervor in the Knights of the Round Table, and even in her own eyes.

Ultimately, however, those very qualities of the Knights of the Round Table, including himself, were distorted—distorted by the very hand of the one known as "King Arthur." Some suffered in agony and sorrow, some were trapped in a cycle of self-reproach, some chose to die a martyr in anger, and some embraced madness and raised the sword of rebellion.

Why is it that, despite both being kings, the Conqueror King's most powerful weapon is the legion that followed him throughout his life, while the Knight King is all alone, possessing only that holy sword, and nothing more?

What caused us (they), who were once just like those soldiers, to end up like that?

This question not only flashed through Mordred's mind, but also settled deeply in Artoria's heart.

"So, will you two continue to fight? If you choose to fight to the death, then savor the ravages of my army. And... remember the memories of your shared battles! The Kingdom of Britain, I, the Conqueror King, will lead my people to utterly conquer it!!!" With that, the Conqueror King Iskandar leaped onto his black warhorse, brandishing his Cypriot sword, and proclaimed his declaration of conquest.

"Indeed! Indeed! Indeed!" The soldiers behind the Conqueror King responded in unison to his call, their morale soaring.

"I see. Although the King of Conquerors doesn't understand the complex relationship between Mordred and Artoria, and doesn't know how to fundamentally solve the problem, he can use pressure and, in the name of the Kingdom of Conquerors, force Artoria to fight alongside Mordred, thus reminding them of their past battles with the Knights of the Round Table. This temporarily resolves the conflict. Heh, as expected of the historically renowned King of Conquerors, he can even come up with such a simple yet efficient solution."

Wang Chong understood Iskandar's logic and couldn't help but chuckle. Indeed, one couldn't mistake his seemingly erratic behavior for that of a fool. After all, he was Iskandar the Great, one of the four great military strategists revered by Western countries.

"This drama should come to an end." Wang Chong knew that the final moment had arrived, and everyone was exposed under Iskandar's barrier. Only Emiya Kiritsugu and Maiya, who had been driven away, as well as Matou Kariya's group and Kenneth's group, who had left the battlefield, were not brought in.

"That...that's the Assassin who was killed before! Why is he here! And there's more than one." At this moment, the sharp-eyed Waver noticed several masked Assassins appearing in the desert and said. As for Jeanne, after learning about Hassan's Noble Phantasm, she immediately understood the reason for his multiple appearances, as she hadn't paid much attention to him.

Meanwhile, Tokiomi Tohsaka, who was far away in the Tohsaka family, heard about Iskandar's Noble Phantasm from Kirei Kotomine after calming Gilgamesh's anger.

"So that's how it is, a bounded field, an army of tens of thousands of heroic spirits... As expected, this Conqueror King who left a significant mark on history is a powerful heroic spirit no less than the Hero King. Fortunately, this guy revealed his trump card so easily."

“Yes, but those Assassins probably won’t be coming back,” Kirei Kotomine said.

"It's alright. We only lost a few pieces, but we got the biggest trump card of this legendary figure. It's quite a bargain," Tokiomi Tohsaka said slowly. This was one of the few good news after the first night of the battle.

……

Inside the Reality Marble, Iskandar, the Conqueror, glanced at the Hassans who had revealed their true forms, then looked at Euryale and Medusa, two of the Gorgon sisters, and shouted:

"There are quite a few sneaky fellows here tonight, but I don't care what schemes you have up your sleeves! I, the Conqueror King, have already said that those cowards who are afraid to show their faces will be despised by me, the Conqueror King Iskandar! So let's begin, you two from Britain, and you cowards. As you can see, our manifested battlefield is a desert plain, and unfortunately, we, with our superior numbers, have the advantage of terrain. So—"

"—Slay them!" With a voice as loud as thunder, Iskandar led his legion to charge towards Mordred, Artoria, and all the other Heroic Spirits present except for a certain one known as the "Ruined King".

This left Irisviel, who was watching from the sidelines, somewhat bewildered. Wasn't she just helping her own Artoria? Why did she suddenly join the attack?

It's normal that Wang Chong was spared. After all, in the eyes of others, Wang Chong had lost his fighting ability, but he was still protecting some Masters, including Iskandar's Master. The King of Conquerors didn't just fight everyone on a whim.

"Alright, since that's the case, let's see if you have enough men to stop my power." Seeing the famous Macedonian phalanx charging towards her in a mighty force, Mordred's eyes lit up with excitement, and her warlike instincts surged back into her mind. She was already preparing to unleash her Noble Phantasm once again.

Hassan, on the other hand, seemed to be in a panic, running blindly. Whether it was intentional or fate, they were closest to the legion and were instantly engulfed, clearly dead beyond any doubt. Then, the soldiers began chasing the Gorgon sisters. Little Medusa, carrying Euryale on her back, quickly pulled away, but Euryale, still frowning, kept yelling, "Hurry up! I hate those rough men the most! I can smell their stench from a hundred meters away; it's disgusting my nose!"

Just as the legion was about to catch up and face Mordred, Mordred's Noble Phantasm began to gather its magic power, ready to be released.

"That's enough, Mordred. You've done quite well. No need to unleash your Noble Phantasm, sheathe your sword." The Master's voice rang in her ears. "I know you still want to duel him, but perhaps next time. Tonight's purpose has been achieved. You've already expended too much of your stamina and mana. Wouldn't it be better to save this duel for when you're at your peak?"

“…Alright, my Master.” Although she didn’t know what her Master had prepared, Mordred trusted her Master’s decision, given that her Master had been watching from the opposite side. Therefore, she stopped releasing her magical energy.

At this moment, Euryale and Medusa arrived beside Mordred, stopped running, and turned to confront the pursuing soldiers.

Seeing this, Iskandar was puzzled. Why did Mordred suddenly stop releasing her Noble Phantasm, and why did the two fleeing Heroic Spirits stop?

But soon, Iskandar received the answer. Countless thick pillars of fire suddenly rose up in front of them, instantly engulfing the soldiers who rushed in.