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

After an unknown amount of time, with a single sword strike, Ritsuka slashed down another dragon, and then it had been a while since she had heard a dragon's roar.

"Huff...huff...Could it be that I've already passed? All I had to do was defeat 12 wyverns?" Ritsuka gasped for breath, looking at everything she had accomplished with disbelief.

"...tap...tap!"

"Roar……"

However, at that moment, the ground suddenly shook, and a familiar low growl came from behind Ritsuka.

“This…this is Fafnir?!” Ritsuka immediately turned around, and in her view, a familiar behemoth appeared before her eyes—it was Fafnir, the dragon she had defeated in the previous singularity.

If Ritsuka could still defeat the wyvern with a burst of power just now, the phantom beast before her has completely exceeded her limits. Without a Servant, she has absolutely no chance of defeating Fafnir.

But Ritsuka gritted her teeth, looking at this opponent she could not possibly defeat, she still raised her sword, pointed it at her, and said, "Come on, Fafnir, I'm not afraid of you!"

"Ritsuka, I can spare your life now. Go. I will control Fafnir and won't stop you." Wang Chong's voice came from the sky once again.

"I will not run away! No matter how difficult it is to overcome, I will pass this test!"

Ritsuka suddenly leaped up and took the initiative to attack Fafnir, thrusting her sword at her opponent.

Come on! I'm not afraid of you!

Ritsuka shouted, as if to encourage herself, and finally thrust her sword in.

"!!? Huh?"

Suddenly, Ritsuka's vision blurred, and she found herself back in the stone chamber, still in the position of rapier.

"What... what's going on?" Looking around at everything, then at her own hand. There was no longer any dragon, no Fafnir, and there was only the sword she was holding.

"You've passed this test." At that moment, Wang Chong's voice echoed in the stone chamber.

Chapter 139: Two Bread Wraps

"You've passed this test." At that moment, Wang Chong's voice echoed in the stone chamber.

"You passed? What does that mean?" Ritsuka asked, somewhat puzzled.

“I originally intended to scare you away, but instead of seizing the opportunity to escape, you were inspired to use your courage,” Wang Chong said.

“Courage…” Ritsuka murmured to herself.

"Courage is not about being fearless and without reverence in the face of anything. It is about facing fear head-on and challenging it even when you are terrified. It is about not backing down and not giving up."

"This quality is something that neither those high and mighty, fearless gods nor those with missions can possess. It is a noble quality that belongs only to ordinary people."

"No matter how formidable the enemy, as long as you have the courage to face him, you have a chance to defeat him, even if that chance is so small as to be almost invisible. If you don't even have the courage to face your enemy, what right do you have to presume to confront me and change my mind?"

Wang Chong's words prompted Ritsuka to think for a while, and in the end, Ritsuka nodded, not only agreeing with what he said, but also realizing that she had indeed made the right choice.

"However, even if you have the courage now, it won't be of any use. I won't give you a way out anymore." Wang Chong's tone changed again, and a wave of pressure washed over Ritsuka once more.

This time, Ritsuka gritted her teeth and said, "I don't need a way out. Bring on whatever challenges you have!"

"Then I'll see what else you can do."

As soon as she finished speaking, the light in the entire stone chamber was completely blocked, plunging it into darkness. Ritsuka felt as if she were once again trapped within that wall of black mist.

However, unlike inside the wall of black mist, this time, Ritsuka was also unable to perceive or see anything else around her; all around her was utter and complete darkness.

Ritsuka first took a few tentative steps, and feeling that she hadn't bumped into anything, she took a deep breath, encouraged herself, and then started running forward.

"boom!"

"Ouch!"

After running for a short while, Ritsuka felt herself bump into something and fell flat on her backside. Ritsuka rubbed her bottom first, then stood up. Just as she was about to reach out to touch it, she found that before she could even extend her hand far, she touched the thing that had bumped into her again.

"What is this thing? How can it move?"

Ritsuka felt something hard she was reaching out to touch was being pushed toward her at a steady pace. As she pushed back, she reached out and touched around, only to find that she couldn't reach the end of it, as if an endless wall was pushing toward her.

"not good!"

Suddenly, as if she had thought of something, Ritsuka immediately touched the wall with one hand and ran quickly in a random direction.

Even after Ritsuka was panting heavily, they still hadn't reached the end of the wall.

"If the wall keeps pushing towards me, there must be another wall pushing towards me from the other direction. If I can't escape before the two walls meet, then I'll definitely be..."

Thinking about her impending doom, Ritsuka didn't care whether she had regulated her breathing or not and continued running forward.

But the final result always exceeded Ritsuka's expectations. In the end, she successfully felt the arrival of another wall with her other outstretched hand, but still could not escape the space.

It was at this moment that Ritsuka realized her vision had become clearer. She saw two walls on either side of her, extending to the horizon, closing in on her from both sides.

"Isn't this test supposed to test my quick thinking and see if I can quickly spot something amiss and run away?"

Ritsuka pondered, then looked at the two walls anxiously, thinking, "Could it be that I'm observing the wrong thing? Should I be observing these two walls to see if there's a way to break through them?"

Thinking of this, Ritsuka began to examine the wall again, trying to find any flaws. But as the wall got closer and closer, she still couldn't see anything on it. In desperation, Ritsuka started kicking the wall hard, trying to break it down.

Kali was not a Servant after all, and with her current strength, she was simply not capable of breaking through these two walls; all she did was a futile effort.

At this point, the two walls had squeezed Ritsuka so tightly that she couldn't even stretch her legs, and she could only keep trying to break through the walls by swinging her fists.

This time, even though Ritsuka smashed her hands until they were bloody and mangled, she couldn't budge the wall an inch. Even now, Ritsuka can't even throw a punch; she can only brace herself against the opposite wall to prevent it from getting closer.

The wall, however, continued to clamp down slowly and steadily.

The wall continued to tighten slowly, and even though Ritsuka felt like her bones were about to crack, she couldn't stop it in the slightest.

"Damn it, move! Move!" However, Ritsuka's roar was powerless. In the end, she could only endure the pain and stretch her hands to the sides, letting the two walls crush her to death.

"So, courage alone isn't enough to get through this? Am I going to die here?" Ritsuka thought to herself as she looked at her body, which was now tightly clamped and unable to move, and the pain began to spread throughout her body.

"Ritsuka, I told you, there's no way you can get past this hurdle no matter what you do." At this moment, Wang Chong's voice came from the remaining space.

"Ugh..." Ritsuka could only let out a reluctant sob. Mei, Mei, I think Mei, are you there, Lin Zai Zai...?

“How about this, for the sake of our past relationship… if you just admit that everything you just said was nothing but your arrogance, and keep your promise to kneel down and beg for mercy, I will let you go this time, how about it?” Wang Chong suddenly persuaded.

"No...no way!" Ritsuka had just had the thought of agreeing, but when she remembered the escape route in the first hurdle, she immediately shook her head and refused firmly.

"Do you think that if this is a way out I'm leaving for you? If you beg for mercy, you might save your life, but it means you've failed the test? Or do you even think that this is part of my test for you?"

Wang Chong saw right through Ritsuka's thoughts and said...

"..." Ritsuka remained silent, but it was clear that this was what she was thinking.

"Hahaha, but I've already said I won't give you a way out. So, this plea for mercy isn't giving you a way out, but rather another chance," Wang Chong laughed and said.

"If you obediently beg for mercy and choose to submit to me, making me happy for a moment, I will not only spare your life, but also allow you to pass this test. This will allow you to continue with the next test. How about it?"

"What did you say?" Ritsuka looked at Wang Chong in disbelief, thinking that he was lying to her.

"I said, as long as you obediently beg for mercy and choose to submit to me, making me happy for a bit, I'll consider you pass," Wang Chong said very seriously.

Chapter 140: The Final Test

"You don't need to think too much. Just beg for mercy, admit your previous mistakes, and choose to submit. As for whether these three tests still apply, that's up to you."

"All I need is for you to please me just once. If you make me happy, I'll reluctantly consider you as having passed this test. I promise I'll keep my word."

Wang Chong's voice echoed.

Upon hearing Wang Chong's promise, a rare hint of hesitation flashed in Ritsuka's eyes, but she immediately became resolute and said loudly, "I will not do such a thing!"

"Do you know what you're rejecting? If you lose this opportunity, death is the only thing waiting for you. Those two stone walls will crush you thinner than paper. Just imagine how that feels."

Wang Chong's voice continued to echo.

"Even so... I will not... beg for mercy." Ritsuka felt like she was being crushed and could hardly breathe, the pain making a hoarse sound in her throat.

"What? Are you ashamed, or afraid that others will find out?" Wang Chong asked.

"This isn't... a matter of shame... ha... ha, just like you said in that courage test before. If I abandon my dignity and now beg and wag my tail before you... what right do I have to persuade you, what right do I have to defeat you?"

Ritsuka gritted her teeth, enduring the intense pain.

“But if you die here, then there’s no point in talking about victory or persuasion. Once you’re dead, you’ll have nothing left,” Wang Chong said. “I’ve said it before, even if you have the courage to face death, it doesn’t mean you can get through this.”

"As the saying goes, a true man can bend and stretch. But begging for mercy is just asking for mercy. If you can't survive, how can you pursue your vision?"

"...I'm not some great man, I'm just a stubborn girl...Even if I die, there's still Mashu, and the doctor...Maybe I can't persuade or defeat you, but at least...at least I can earn that qualification for them. At least they can carry on my last wish and continue fighting...

Ritsuka used the last of her strength to say everything that was in her chest, and she was in so much pain that she almost fainted.

"Fine... fine, so you're saying you're going to win them the qualification? You really won't beg for mercy?" Wang Chong said in a deep voice.

"No..." Her voice was barely audible, but it firmly expressed Ritsuka's attitude at that moment.

"Alright, your chances are completely used up. Enjoy the pain that death brings, Ritsuka."

After saying this, Wang Chong's voice fell silent, and the two walls resumed their advance at the original speed.

"Pfft!" A mouthful of blood spurted onto the wall. It was probably because her internal organs were crushed that Ritsuka vomited blood. The immense pain almost destroyed Ritsuka's will, but even as her consciousness was sinking into the final darkness, she did not give up.

After the blood splattered on the wall, it was somehow absorbed by the wall and emitted a dazzling light, but Ritsuka, who had lost consciousness, could no longer see it.

……

"Hmm...? I'm not already..."

In a daze, Ritsuka opened her eyes. She propped herself up and looked around at everything with some confusion.

The stone chamber scenery was still very familiar, and yet, without realizing it, he found himself sitting on a stone chair, completely unharmed. "Mei, Mei, are you free? Lin, are you free?"

"Wasn't I already dead? Could it be... that I passed the test? But how did I pass it..." Ritsuka only remembered that she coughed up blood and then fainted, but she had no idea why she passed the test.

"I never imagined that someone who always relies on followers or the power of others would have such a principled side. Unyielding and resolute, even unto death," Wang Chong said involuntarily.

"What would happen if I really begged for mercy?" Ritsuka asked curiously.

"It's simple. Those two walls will really crush your body into mincemeat. Of course, you won't die, because I'll take your soul as well. After all, I keep my word, and I also have a way to bring you back to life."

"But in return, once my soul is taken away and I mark it, you will be completely under my control for the rest of your life, and you will never have the thought of resisting again."

Wang Chong's words, spoken in a mocking tone, sounded like a joke, but Ritsuka felt a chill run down her spine.

"However, you did not give in. This test is a test of your backbone. Only the blood of backbone, staining the wall, can destroy it."

“I originally thought that the little girl who always relied on everyone’s strength and was always well protected by everyone, even when she arrived at this new singularity, was protected by some unseen will. The puppet that made decisions for you wouldn’t have any backbone.”

"I never imagined you would actually have that kind of spirit, and that you could even say that you would use your own death and dignity to win others the opportunity to speak with me on an equal footing. To be honest, Ritsuka, you have indeed earned my respect."

"That's right, the next level is the third one. And just like before, whether you have courage or backbone, you can't pass this level by relying on those alone!"

As soon as she finished speaking, the black mist instantly swallowed up the last remaining light in the cave, engulfing Ritsuka's consciousness once more.

When Ritsuka regained consciousness, she found herself once again in a rural area. Looking around, she saw the familiar Roman countryside.

However, unlike before, soldiers lay dead in pools of blood everywhere, and hordes of monsters surged forward like a tide, creating a scene reminiscent of the apocalypse.

"What's going on?" Ritsuka asked incredulously, looking at the scene of Rome's crushing defeat. But then she looked up and finally noticed something that horrified her.

A brown-skinned girl held aloft a sword that emitted a seven-colored light. With a single swing, she destroyed most of the city of Rome.

"This...how is this possible? No...this should just be part of the trial, a staged scene." Ritsuka couldn't believe it, but she quickly realized what was happening and shook her head.

“Yes, this is indeed a scene I created... but it is also the real scene you will see when the final judgment comes on the seventh day.”

At that moment, Wang Chong's voice came from the sky. Ritsuka looked towards the source of the voice and her eyes widened. A huge, completely upside-down sky garden was floating in the sky, and around the sky garden were some Servants whose powerful auras could be felt at a glance.

“Instructor Mordred, Sister Jeanne Alter, Teacher Semiramis… and Mr. Wang Chong.”

Ritsuka recited the names of those people one by one, her face turning pale. Although she had known for a long time that she was destined to fight these former Servants and Wang Chong in the next day or two, witnessing this scene still shocked her.

"Your defeat is inevitable. No matter how you look at it, even if you gather all the Servants on this land, your strength is far inferior to ours. Look at those guys lying on the ground; that's the truest reflection of your future."

Wang Chong slowly walked through the air to the forefront. He coldly pointed his finger at the ground, and Ritsuka followed his finger and looked around, exclaiming in surprise, "Mash! Mr. Archer! Miss Jing Ke! His Majesty Nero!"

Among the corpses, Ritsuka saw Mash and the others lying in pools of blood. Just as she was about to go forward to check their injuries, she heard a voice from above: "Don't worry, they're not dead yet."

"What exactly do you want?" Ritsuka stopped in her tracks, looked up at Wang Chong, and questioned him.

“Ritsuka, didn’t you want to stop me from destroying Rome and completely destroying the world? Didn’t you want the right to talk to me and persuade me? I can grant you all of that.”

Wang Chong suddenly revealed a strange smile and said.

"You'll agree to anything? Is it really that simple?" Ritsuka's first reaction was disbelief.

"Of course it's not that simple. To gain something, you have to give up something."

Wang Chong manipulated the black mist, forming a black mist bow. He then looked at the girl who had just destroyed Rome with her sword. The girl immediately understood Wang Chong's meaning and handed the "Rainbow Sword" in her hand to him.

"I remember this Archer you recruited really liked using his Noble Phantasm to shoot people, right?"