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

"Here, Ritsuka." Seeing that Ritsuka did not respond for a long time, Euryale suddenly took a black bracelet from Stheno's hand and tossed it to Ritsuka.

Ritsuka was awakened by Euryale's calls and quickly caught the bracelet that was thrown to her. She couldn't help but ask, "What is this?"

"This is what my Master specifically instructed us to do. If you, Ritsuka, have thought it through and decide whether you want to be our enemy, then put on this bracelet and go to the deepest part of this cave. There are three trials waiting for you there, Ritsuka."

Euryale slowly said, "If you can successfully pass the three tests, then the bracelet will guide you to your Master's location."

“Stheno (I) did promise you that if I passed the test, I would inform you of the Master's whereabouts. This is the Master fulfilling this promise on Stheno's behalf, and also repaying Chaldea for the care you have given us these past few days. From now on, we owe Chaldea nothing more.”

"Alright, silly sister, take the children back. Now that this island has been discovered, there's no need to stay here."

Euryale, carrying Stheno on her back, was enveloped in a cloud of black mist and began to fly upwards. The others did the same, successfully ascending into the air with the help of the black mist and disappearing back into the wall of black mist.

Now, only Ritsuka, Mashu, and the others are left on the island, somewhat at a loss.

Chapter 135: The Script

"Is Ritsuka still sitting on that big rock, not having figured it out yet?" Mei, are you free? Lin, are you free?

Nero looked at Ritsuka, who was sitting on the boulder, silently gazing at the ocean, and couldn't help but speak.

"Probably... After all, this time I finally understood why my former friend would do such a thing. It even shook the resolve that you had finally made up your mind."

Mashu couldn't help but say.

"After your and that magician's detailed explanation, I roughly understand what Rome is going through now. It's neither a god punishing humanity nor a demon wanting to destroy the world; it's simply that man seeking revenge against the will of the world?"

Nero slowly said:

"I have no way to offer you any effective advice. Rather, I feel that I am the one who has suffered this undeserved misfortune."

"First, there's the devil eyeing Rome, plotting to destroy it. Then there's the man posing as a divine messenger, judging Rome in order to destroy the world. You really think highly of me..."

"I apologize, Your Majesty Nero, for revealing the truth to you only now," Mash said apologetically.

"It's alright, it's not a big deal. In fact, now that I've figured it out completely, many things that I couldn't understand before have become clear. I can then negotiate with the other emperors."

Nero slowly said:

"Now that we have roughly deduced their purpose based on their motives, we can no longer continue this absurd game of judgment. It seems that they have no intention of sparing Rome's life. Therefore, we should naturally unite all of Rome to fight against them."

“It is all the better that Your Majesty thinks this way. However, I am worried about Senior. I don’t know if she still has the will to continue fighting. After all, in my opinion, erasing someone’s memory is indeed a very excessive thing.”

Mashu couldn't help but say.

"Their fate and their choice to seek revenge are not surprising. But you need not blame yourselves for it."

At this moment, Jing Ke stepped forward and interjected:

"Your mission is to re-establish human reason and correct history. Even if that mysterious will has harmed your companions, if you abandon human history and the path to save the world because of this, wouldn't that ultimately benefit that demon god?"

"We cannot stand by and watch humanity head towards its end... Saving humanity and history is saving ourselves."

"You and they are ultimately on different sides. They have essentially transcended the realm of humanity. Even if history changes and human reason is destroyed, they can still live on independently, unaffected by it."

"Although you can hold out for a while because of Chaldea's special nature, if that demon god or your former friend completes their plan, Chaldea will likely be affected and ultimately destroyed."

"In my time, this would be like a battle between two countries. Both countries had their own reasons and their own sense of justice. At that time, there was no real distinction between right and wrong; there was only the thorough implementation of one's own position."

"Even now, though I know very well that the King of Qin completed the great task of unifying China and laid the foundation for a unified empire for future generations, I would still assassinate the King of Qin for the sake of the State of Yan. I have never regretted this."

“Once your Master fully understands the position she represents, she will only have one correct choice—to continue fighting.”

After hearing Jing Ke's words, Mashu seemed a little reluctant and couldn't help but say, "Isn't this a bit too cruel?"

"War is inherently a cruel thing. It is perfectly normal for former friends, or even relatives, to fight for different positions."

As Jing Ke said this, he involuntarily closed his eyes, as if mentioning war itself was a very painful thing.

"Saving the world also means continuing to fight. Since there is a struggle, such things were bound to happen sooner or later... Someone has to bear this pain and end it all. If you can't do that, it's better to give up sooner rather than later."

"Let's give her time. Anyway, if we want to go back, we'll need a bigger ship and to wait for that archer who can determine direction to wake up."

Seeing Jing Ke say this, Mashu had no further questions and simply watched Ritsuka silently, praying that her senior could cheer up.

……

In the black fog

Wang Chong silently observed everything below, taking in all that had just happened.

Whether it was the arrival of Jing Ke and Lü Bu, or the subsequent guidance of Ritsuka and the others into the cave by Stheno to experience battles, until finally Euryale revealed the "truth" and returned with the children and other Servants.

"Hehe, that's really the case. Although you can observe our conversation, you can't truly judge what we're thinking."

"Especially in the black fog, you can't even observe us anymore. Alaya, you really are useless."

Everything was proceeding as Wang Chong had anticipated. Once he discovered that Jing Ke and Lü Bu were no longer wandering aimlessly within the wall of black mist, but were gradually being drawn to this tangible island, he understood that Alaya had begun to intervene.

He then gave Medusa two orders. The first was given in a place without the black mist, ordering her to kill Fujimaru Ritsuka. The second was given while in the black mist, merely to scare Fujimaru Ritsuka and force the doctor to teleport them back.

After Ritsuka and the others arrived, unexpected events occurred frequently, the most typical of which were the following two incidents:

First, Archer disregarded everyone's safety and resolutely took a risky move, intending to blow up the entire cave. This forced Archer to use black mist to stabilize the cave passage and prevent it from collapsing.

Later, Lu Bu, who had been knocked unconscious by his own blow, was awakened by the shockwave from the Archer's explosion. The timely collapse of the wall allowed Lu Bu and Jing to escape, ultimately preventing Medusa from "killing" Fujimaru Ritsuka.

It's not hard to see from these events that the driving force behind these "accidents" is none other than Alaya. Everything it does is to protect Ritsuka's life, hoping that she can resolve the singularity and restore humanity and history.

Whether it's the appearance of Archer, the unexpected arrival of Lü Bu and Jing Ke, or even going back further, his handling of a series of unexpected events in Rome, there are traces of Alaya's intervention.

From the moment he prepared to destroy human history, Wang Chong was already locked in a battle with Alaya. And in each confrontation, Wang Chong gained a deeper understanding of what Alaya was capable of.

"Master, we're back." At that moment, Euryale appeared before Wang Chong with a group of people.

"You've worked hard. It must have been tough cooperating in this script... After all, you were put in a confrontation, yet you couldn't completely defeat the other side." Wang Chong swept his black mist over their bodies, clearing away their fatigue.

"Sigh, but after this scene, we're completely out of the picture. I feel like I haven't been of much help," Rin Tohsaka complained.

"Alright, Rin, there's plenty of time for you to shine." Wang Chong patted Rin Tohsaka's head and gave Sakura and Illya a reward as well.

"Hmph, if we're talking about MVP this time, it should be me, right? After all, she had to pretend to have amnesia and pretend to be unconscious." At this moment, Stheno, who was being carried on her back, suddenly woke up and got off Euryale with a smile.

“That’s what they say. Costano (me)... when you were first summoned to this world, you genuinely forgot those things.”

Euryale said somewhat seriously:

"Back then, it really scared me, my Master, and my silly little sister. Fortunately, after your separated consciousness returned to your original body, your memories slowly came back. You've forgotten how you were acting all cute in your Master's arms these past few days, haven't you?"

"No... I wasn't being coquettish at all. I was just a little uneasy. Besides, without me, could you have been drinking porridge for several days in a row?" Steno said, her face unusually flushed.

"Porridge? Where can we get porridge?" Ilya asked curiously.

“Children shouldn’t ask such questions. Ahem, anyway, Master, we’ve finished the script for this play. Now, are we just waiting for Chaldea to come knocking on our door?” Stheno asked.

"No rush... Just watch closely. From the moment Ritsuka arrived in this world, it marked the beginning of my decisive battle with Alaya. I won't let her off easily."

Wang Chong's expression turned cold as he slowly spoke.

Chapter 136: Ritsuka's Choice

"Oh right, sister, did you forget to remind Chaldea to be careful of Archer?" Little Medusa suddenly asked.

"Ah! I forgot about that! I was so caught up in the emotions at the time that I forgot to remind you of that."

After Medusa's reminder, Euryale realized that she seemed to have forgotten her lines.

“Another silly little sister has appeared~” Stheno said with a smile, covering her mouth.

"Damn it! So annoying! It's all your fault, you stupid sister, why did you remind me of this!" Euryale yelled at the aggrieved little Medusa, which had almost become a daily routine for the three sisters.

"Alright, alright, it's nothing, I'll add more details later." Wang Chong smiled helplessly, then said, "Take them back first, leave the rest to me."

Finally, the three sisters, along with Tamamo Cat, Elizabeth, and the trio of children, flew towards the Sky Garden, while Wang Chong transformed into a cloud of black mist and, before the islanders could react, entered the mountain.

……

"Doctor, is it right or wrong for me to continue?"

Gazing at the sea, Ritsuka, having finally calmed down, began to question Dr. Roman. "Mei ne Mei ni Yongmei Kong ni Lin Zai Zai Mei ne..."

"On one side is a friend who betrayed me, on the other is saving humanity... What should I choose?"

Dr. Roman had been listening silently the whole time, and when Ritsuka asked him the question again, he slowly said, "This is no longer a question of right or wrong, Ritsuka."

“You need to understand, Ritsuka, sometimes we face two choices that are neither right nor wrong, and we can’t have both. We can only make a trade-off. For example, there’s an old Chinese saying: ‘Loyalty and filial piety are hard to reconcile.’ It best illustrates this point.”

"Ultimately making this choice simply means what kind of person you are, or rather, what kind of person you want to become, Ritsuka."

"What kind of person do I want to become?" Ritsuka murmured to herself.

"Yes, do you want to be a righteous person who helps your friend avenge his family, or do you want to be a savior who saves the world?" Dr. Roman replied calmly, "That's all, Ritsuka. Whatever choice you make, don't feel guilty. Because whatever choice you make, you haven't wronged anyone else."

"Because that's who you are, you just did what you wanted to do most in your heart. No one is born obligated to be loyal to their friends, nor is anyone born obligated to contribute to saving the world."

"No one has the right to criticize what kind of person you choose to be... Whether you choose to be a righteous person or a savior, it is your own business."

"So, boldly do what you want to do... Between the world and your friends, which weighs more... I know this farewell will be very painful. Mashu and I will be with you, and we will not blame you no matter what choice you make."

Dr. Roman said slowly, "No longer as Chaldea, but simply as Romani Archman, I sincerely hope that Ritsuka will do what she wants to do."

"Do what you want to do."

The sea breeze howled as it swept over the rocks, ruffling the stray hairs that fell across Ritsuka's forehead. She buried her face between her knees, her clenched knuckles turning pale against her uniform. The waves crashed against the cliff, breaking into pale foam, just like the choices that lingered in her throat and were swallowed back down.

Finally, Ritsuka raised her head, with a hint of tears in the corners of her eyes, and said, word by word, "I...I still want to save this world."

“I can understand Mr. Wang Chong’s anger, and I can also understand the sadness in Euryale and Medusa’s hearts. But that’s precisely why…that’s precisely why I don’t want to see more people get hurt because of this, and experience the same pain, anger, and sadness.”

“I will stop Mr. Wang Chong. I will make him change his mind and believe in humanity again… In short, no matter what, I cannot stand by and watch the world and humanity head towards their end.”

"Doctor...I still choose...to continue fighting!"

Ritsuka said firmly.

"It must have been incredibly painful to make such a choice, Ritsuka... But perhaps it is precisely because you can so precisely understand the pain of others, pity their sorrow, and comprehend their anger that you are able to bear all of this and become the true savior."

Dr. Roman looked at Ritsuka, who had clenched her fists and finally made up her mind, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly. Then, with a smile, he said, "Alright, Ritsuka, then do as you choose."

"Well... then there's only one thing left. Now that I've made my decision, I'm going to accept that test and find where Mr. Wang Chong and the others are. Only then can I confront him and stop him."

"No, I believe Mr. Wang Chong. If he really wanted to harm me, he could have done it directly; there's no need for such a despicable method." Ritsuka shook her head, then put the bracelet on her wrist. A warm sensation came from her wrist, without any discomfort.

"How are you feeling, Senpai?" Mash stepped forward and asked.

“No problem. I’ll go into the cave now and begin the trial,” Ritsuka said earnestly. “Your Majesty Nero, Miss Jing Ke, please take care of Mr. Archer. Mash and I will go in.”

"Although I checked the deeper parts of the cave and there is no longer any sign of life there, if there are any problems, don't fight inside. Come back and tell us immediately."

Jing Ke carefully advised, "If all else fails, there's still General Lü. He's very strong in combat; ordinary followers might not be his match."

"■■■■■ーーー!" Lu Bu roared again, seemingly to show that his strength was not in question.

"Okay, I'll be careful, Mash, let's go in." Ritsuka led Mash back into the cave.

With no traps or monsters to hinder them, Ritsuka and Mash moved quickly and reached the deepest part of the area in no time.

"Is this the place? Or should we go to where Miss Jing Ke and the others were before?" Ritsuka used her illumination magic to examine her surroundings, muttering to herself.

Before she and Mashu could take a few steps inside, Ritsuka suddenly felt her bracelet begin to vibrate.

"Huh? Is this vibration telling me which way to go?" Ritsuka swung her arms and headed towards the direction where the vibration was strongest.

When she arrived at a stone wall, Ritsuka first looked it over and, finding nothing special, tried to touch it with her hand.

But who would have thought that the moment her hand, adorned with the bracelet, touched the stone wall, a burst of black mist suddenly erupted from the point of contact, instantly enveloping Ritsuka and then rapidly being drawn into the wall.

"Senpai!" Mashu noticed this and rushed forward to try to pull Ritsuka back, but when she arrived, Ritsuka was nowhere to be seen.

"I'm taking her away to undergo a test. Whatever the outcome, I'll return her to where she was." A voice echoed in the empty cave.

"That voice...is that Mr. Wang Chong!?"

Mashu immediately recognized the other person. She didn't understand why Wang Chong had pulled Ritsuka behind the wall alone for this test. She could only try to break through the stone wall to see if she could create a path to the inside.

"Calm down, Mashu. Ritsuka is in his hands now. If we rush in rashly, we'll only put Ritsuka in greater danger," Dr. Roman immediately interjected to stop them.

"Are we just going to stand by and watch?" Mash asked, puzzled.

“The only thing we can do now is to trust that Mr. Wang Chong will keep his word and to trust Ritsuka,” Dr. Roman said. “I will check the surrounding area and maybe I can find Ritsuka’s whereabouts. Anyway, Mashu, go and inform the others what is happening.”

Chapter 137: Questioning the Heart

"Ugh... Where am I?"

After being engulfed by the black mist, Ritsuka felt dizzy for a short time. When she gradually regained consciousness, she found herself in a stone chamber. She was surrounded by cold stone walls, with only a high stone chair in the center.

"call--"